CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The City of Carbondale held a special meeting on the morning of July 13, to adopt an ordinance to repeal a previous ordinance relating to disorderly conduct.
The previous ordinance, 2023-03, was adopted on January 10, 2023, as an additional enforcement mechanism against certain acts of disorderly conduct, as mentioned in the Special City Council Meeting .Ìý
City officials stated in the agenda there is additional city ordinances and state statutes that provide sufficient protection from acts of disorderly conduct in furtherance of the protection of the health and welfare of the public.
One person at the city council meeting asked as to why the city first adopted the original ordinance.
“Mr. Williams (previous Carbondale city manager) and the city council at the time felt that it was necessary to protect the individuals entering into and exiting medical centers," City Attorney Jamie Snyder said. "Since then, nobody has violated the ordinance and there has been no charges that have been filed. There has been no credible evidence of any violation whatsoever. So, it has been determined that it is in the best interest of the city to repeal the ordinance and utilize the current ordinances we have in place.�
News 3 previously reported a group bringing a lawsuit against the City of Carbondale for a "bubble" ordinance. Officials with Coalition For Life argued the provision is unconstitutional and violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The full complaint by the Coalition For Life St. Louis can be found .
The lawsuit mentioned Coalition Life was seeking a declaration to the city's ordinance 2023-03, which was arranged in the City of Carbondale's Disorderly Conduct Ordinance as .
