A Lexington-based group advocating for the homeless is asking Kentuckians to take part in a survey about attitudes towards unsheltered people. The Street Voices Council will share the results with state lawmakers at a free lunch Wednesday – and introduce them to people they say will be affected by a bill that passed the House last week. Ginny Ramsey is director and cofounder of the Catholic Action Council.
“As advocates, we can talk until we're blue in the face. But as the people who were impacted, we found that by taking a couple of them, and speaking with Representative Bauman, and then some of the others, they were kind of taken aback.”
Jared Bauman is the sponsor of House Bill 5, which passed the House last week. Critics say HB 5 criminalizes homelessness when there aren’t enough shelter beds in Kentucky. Ramsey said she hopes the luncheon will sway the hearts and minds of legislators.
“What is the matter with us that we would think that passing a bill that criminalizes it is going to help the situation when we don't have enough shelter beds?”
Ramsey said regardless of the survey’s results, it will be presented to lawmakers.
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