Anchorage, AK – Under the direction of Mayor Bronson, Anne R. Helzer, Municipal Attorney, has joined 16 other U.S. cities and signed the International Municipal Lawyers Association's amicus brief supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. The amicus brief urges the Court to clarify that state and local governments can and should be able to take reasonable action to address their local homelessness crisis.
“The Municipality has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to address our homeless population in Anchorage. While it may have been well-intended, Martin v. Boise has tied our hands from using even the most compassionate and reasonable approaches to keep our streets, public parks, and recreational trails safe," said Mayor Bronson.
“It makes sense that a city shouldn't unjustly criminalize homeless individuals. However, the 9th circuit has gone beyond what is reasonable to protect our homeless population and has created a situation where our municipality is severely limited in its ability to protect all members of our local community from challenges with our homeless crisis.
The brief that was prepared by the International Association of Municipal Attorneys is well-written and makes sense. The courts should provide Municipalities with more clarity on how they can manage their own cities without the impending threat of a lawsuit."
The amicus brief is available on the Supreme Court website and can be found here.
Media Contact: Veronica Hoxie, Communications Director, Veronica.Hoxie@anchorageak.gov, 907-615-1568