Battle Creek City Commissioners approved a set of proposed ordinances regarding panhandling at their Tuesday, August 17 meeting.

The Enquirer reports that the ordinances passed 5-4, and if they are enacted would lay out rules regarding loitering and the solicitation of money in the City.  As well, the ordinances would make it unlawful for someone to solicit money “in a way that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized [or] frightened”, or for someone to continue asking for money after they were told no.

Opponents of the ordinances say that they are too broad and cast too wide a net, and that they might even be unconstitutional.  Supporters say that they worked to make the language in the ordinances as clear and precise as possible to avoid legal problems.

The ordinances will now need final approval when the City Commission meets September 6.

More From WKMI