Today's Lurking Hearing

We had a very interesting and, in the end, disappointing Committee hearing and discussion today regarding the Lurking repeal effort.

We heard outstanding public testimony with some 20 people speaking in favor of repealing lurking, some supporting the repeal but not with any expansion to loitering and one person speaking in favor of keeping lurking.

In the end however, Council Member Paul Ostrow finally put forward a motion to return the item to author. This will go to the full Council for a vote on June 20 because it passed the committee 3-2, with CM Samuels abstaining.

I do not expect this repeal effort to succeed at the Council. I will continue to make my case however. It would not be the first time the majority of the Council overturned something from the Public Safety Committee, but it will not happen without some significant work from both within and from outside City Hall.

As disappointing as the vote was today and as hopeless as I feel about winning this one, I also feel very inspired and proud today to be standing with all the advocates and others who came in to speak both today and at our last meeting. They made the case beautifully and they helped me understand and remember why I am here.