Advocates for the homeless in Massachusetts' second-largest city are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will decide to hear a challenge to local laws that restrict panhandling.
The high court is poised to decide whether to hear the challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Worcester's poor and homeless.
The ACLU sued after the city enacted a pair of ordinances in 2013 that outlaw panhandling after dark or at any time within 20 feet of bus stops, restaurants with outdoor seating and ATMs. The laws also forbid anyone from standing on traffic islands, including people raising money for charity or holding political campaign signs.
ACLU attorney Kevin Martin says the laws violate the constitutional right to free speech.
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