NewsBreak Original

A proposal by Denver City Councilmember Candi CdeBaca to decriminalize jaywalking won City Council approval Monday, but the vote was not unanimous. Councilmembers Kendra Black, Chris Herndon and Paul Kashmann voted against the change. Black said jaywalking will remain illegal under state law. She said that with an average of 22 tickets per year, there was no proof showing the police were targeting any group.

(Denver, Colo.) Denver would give residents the “Freedom to Walk and Roll,” as the proposal is called, under new regulations that decriminalize jaywalking. City Councilmember Candi CdeBaca has sponsored a bill that would rewrite Denver’s jaywalking laws. People would not be able to just cross in the middle of the street erratically, she said, but language specifically prohibiting crossing safely would be removed.

Crosswalk in Seattle's University DistrictPhoto bySam Battaglieri/UnsplashonUnsplash. ** This article is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as shared with me by my cousin, who experienced them firsthand; used with permission.