San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he will bypass the Board of Supervisors and ask voters to decide on one of the city’s most contentious issues: whether it should be illegal for people to sit or lie down on sidewalks during certain hours.
In taking the debate about the sit/lie ordinance to the ballot box in November, Newsom is reacting to stiff resistance from a majority of supervisors. They say the proposed law will unfairly target the homeless, day laborers and youth.
“It’s crystal clear that the board’s not serious about it,” Newsom said in an interview with The Chronicle. “We’re moving forward with sit/lie.”
The mayor’s legislation is scheduled to be heard today before the board’s Public Safety Committee.
Full story: Newsom to take sit/lie measure to voters