Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/273295
"MDA provides … hope for me and many others," said Tonya Smith, who has been diag- nosed with a neuromuscular disease. "We have been doing this as an organiza- tion for 60 years," Venice Firefighter Tony Fitzgerald told the commission. According to a representative from the local MDA chapter, the nonprofit has taken in $25,000 less since the county's temporary solicitation ordinance was enacted because the law bans roadside solicitations. Enacting a permanent prohibition, MDA supporters say, would have an even more negative impact on the charity's ability to raise money. County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh and Assistant County Attorney Dave Pearce, however, argued against an exemption that could be perceived as favoring certain types of organizations over others. That is because the courts and the ACLU keep a close look- out for any local ordinances that might be seen as impeding free speech, the attorneys pointed out. Pearce noted a federal court case during which a judge ruled that local governments could not enact laws that are not consid- ered "content neutral." In other words, local governments cannot ban some forms, or viewpoints, of speech while allowing others. A PowerPoint slide presented to the County Commission March 5 offers information about how other communities handle roadside solicitation for charities. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 44