(Center Square) According to a Center Square article posted on January 24th, it is said that in 2023, nearly 75% of Spokane voters decided to ban camping within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and daycare centers. However, state lawmakers in Washington are now trying to allow homeless individuals to challenge those rules in court.
Representatives Timm Ormsby and Natasha Hill, both Democrats from Spokane, are sponsoring House Bill 1380. If passed, the bill would require rules on where homeless people can sit, lie, sleep, or stay warm outdoors to be “objectively reasonable” in terms of time, place, and manner.
Spokane passed Proposition 1 over a year ago to toughen laws about camping on public property, but the police couldn’t enforce the law until June, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a decision that had blocked such laws. Since then, many areas have followed Spokane’s lead. However, some locals are now saying that HB 1380 goes against the will of voters who supported Proposition 1.
Gavin Cooley, CEO of the Spokane Business Association, is concerned that HB 1380 could turn public spaces into campsites, rather than keeping them available for everyone. He pointed out that more than 52,000 people voted for Proposition 1, showing strong support for the current laws. Despite this, the progressive-led city council has stalled efforts from conservative members to fully support the law.
With over 2,000 homeless individuals in Spokane, the issue remains a serious challenge. Even though Spokane voters supported Proposition 1, Ormsby and Hill are pushing to allow lawsuits challenging the law’s fairness. Their goal is to strike a balance between public safety and helping people transition to stable housing, while also protecting local governments from lawsuits if their regulations are deemed “objectively reasonable.”
Cooley, who previously served as the city’s CFO, believes the state should focus on proven methods from other cities, such as Boise and Houston, that have successfully addressed homelessness.