The city’s new anti-panhandling ordinance has generated a lot of commentary and criticism in the local community and may face legal challenges from the local chapter of the ACLU. In an effort to better understand the intent and ramifications of the ordinance, Joe Hendricks contacted Sarasota City Attorney Bob Fournier via email to get his thoughts.

Anthony Paull is certain that there’d be more of a public upheaval surrounding the Sarasota City Commision’s recent decision to ban panhandling along public roadways if people took the time to read through the subsections of the new ordinance. No, please—be our guest.

You may have heard the hullabaloo last Tuesday when an agent from the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Bureau of Law Enforcement (phew, what a mouthful) popped in for a surprise inspection at nine Sarasota bars. Then again, you may not have heard anything at all, since most of the commotion sparked by the agent’s visit seemed to die down relatively quickly. Of the nine establishments inspected, Growler’s Pub on North Tamiami Trail was one of those slapped with an [...]