ACLU of Oklahoma sends letter to City of Shawnee on "No Sit, No Lie" ordinance

SHAWNEE, Okla. (KFOR) — ACLU of Oklahoma sent a letter to the City of Shawnee on Thursday, asking the city to repeal the recently passed "No Sit, No Lie" ordinance.

The ordinance passed with a vote of six to one on Dec. 18, and prohibits sleeping outdoors, as well as sitting, lying down or placing items along any right of way in downtown Shawnee.

While Shawnee city leaders say the ordinance is intended to promote a safer, family-friendly environment in the downtown area, critics say the ordinance comes at a steep cost for both the Shawnee unhoused population and taxpayers.

In a letter addressed to Shawnee City Manager Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer and Shawnee City Commissioners, ACLU of Oklahoma says that the ordinance is a violation of the First Amendment.

"Shawnee's 'No Sit, No Lie' ordinance censors protected speech because it criminalizes speech on public sidewalks simply because a person decides to sit or lie while speaking," said Adam Hines, ACLU of Oklahoma Skadden Fellow, in the letter. "People often sit or lie down while holding signs and soliciting charitable funds, activities protected by the First Amendment."

Later in the letter, Hines references a federal lawsuit over Oklahoma City's anti-panhandling ordinance from 2015, warning that the City of Shawnee could face similar costly litigation if the ordinance isn't repealed.

"OKC's stubborn defense of the plainly unconstitutional ordinance ultimately cost taxpayers more than a million dollars in attorneys' fees," Hines said. "Repealing Shawnee's unconstitutional ordinance is a more expeditious and cost-effective way to respect Oklahomans' constitutional freedoms and protect taxpayers."