California lawmaker proposes 'homeless bill of rights'

Sacramento Bee Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 - 6:54 am California law protects its residents from discrimination based on sex, race, religion and sexual orientation. Now a state lawmaker is pushing to add another category to the list: homelessness. New legislation titled the "Homeless Bill of Rights" by Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco is meant to keep communities from rousting people who have nowhere to turn. The measure is sure to be controversial in cities such as Sacramento, which has battled for years over "tent cities" for homeless people, and San Francisco, where voters passed an ordinance barring sitting or lying on sidewalks. The heart of Assembly Bill 5 would give legal protection to people engaging in life-sustaining activities on public property. Among other activities, it specifically mentions sleeping, congregating, panhandling, urinating and "collecting and possessing goods for recycling..." Click below to read more: