Church Sues City Over Ban On Food Aid In Downtown Areas

In July, the city of Orlando, Florida enacted an ordinance banning religious and charitable groups from serving meals to the hungry at the city’s Lake Eola Park and other areas downtown without first obtaining a special permit. A permit is available to any particular organization only for serving two times each year; however the city has created an alternative sitre that can be used without a permit. (See prior posting.) On Thursday, the ACLU of Central Florida brought suit against the city on behalf a church, the homeless man that serves as its pastor, and on behalf of a charity that serves vegan meals, alleging that the new ordinance is an unconstitutional infringement of free expression rights. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on the lawsuit. Both sides express hope that the suit will encourage negotiations between the parties.