PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – A law that would prohibit the roadside solicitation of money in Calvert County was passed by the Maryland General Assembly on Friday, April 5, 2024. If signed by the Governor, the law will take effect on October 1, 2024.
The legislation makes it unlawful for any person to stand in a roadway, median, or intersection and solicit money or donations from the occupants of a vehicle. Violators will face a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The legislation was introduced by the Calvert County delegation to the General Assembly (Senators Jackson and Bailey; Delegates Fisher, Long and Morgan) and supported by the Board of County Commissioners and the State’s Attorney. A similar law is already in effect in Charles County.
St.Mary’s Co needs this law! It is out of control with professional panhandlers.
WHERE? We have one at the Target shopping center.. that’s it. Does it really bother you?
Where? St Andrews road and FDR
235 &4 intersection
You must not get out much.
Yes, it does. There’s quite a few, different ones near Rt. 4 all the time. Distraction. I bet if you offered to buy food or something that they should be able to use they will decline.
Get ready for more panhandlers as they work their way over from Calvert to St. Mary’s.
So tired of seeing people park $50k cars to put their sad outfit on and beg for money. Stop pretending, bothering others and get a real job!
This crazy, you wont think Calvert County would focus more on there homeless problem and lack of affordable housing instead people asking for more which isn’t a problem here
I agree, it’s crazy by route 4. Going off of St. Andrews is already a pain because the light doesn’t stay green very long. But then you got these people digging up money, holding up traffic. Just the fact that they also make you feel uncomfortable, staring at you threw the window waving for a period of time. I feel like rolling the window down and telling them ok, you can move along now.
Amazing how many people in these comments hate Freedom Of Speech.
If you don’t want to give them money, then don’t. They don’t make you feel uncomfortable. Feelings are your choice. No one can make you feel anything, good or bad.
These people don’t understand how obviously this violates the First Amendment. Even the ACLU lists with supporting citations that panhandling is protected speech under the Constitution. This is insane.
Some of these same panhandlers in St. Marys have been at the same location going on two years or more. A big safety distraction for drivers and pedestrians. Some have nice cars stashed in a parking lot.
That’s a bald face lie! I know one of the panhandlers and they hitchhike to the intersection they don’t have a car
Can we now get a ban on those roadside adverts that consume 90% of Rt 4.? Usually consisting of election or hot tub propaganda, but the problem is that they’re thousands of them… everywhere…for months… When advertising, maybe try something a little less wasteful and obnoxious, and something a little more 2024..just an opinion
If your worried about affordable housing, I’m sure you can take in a few.