Gaithersburg seeks new version of solicitation rule

Thwarted by Maryland’s attorney general in their effort to curb loitering in their town, Gaithersburg officials are looking for new ways to keep day laborers from looking for work on public roads.

Last week, Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler rejected an anti-solicitation ordinance passed by the City Council nearly a year ago that would have made looking for work or workers along city streets a misdemeanor for all involved. Gansler said the rule ran afoul of the First Amendment and Maryland’s vehicle laws.