Oklahoman Oklahoma City Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher says it is time to "revisit and revise" the 2015 panhandling ordinance that was ruled unconstitutional by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver last summer. Stonecipher commented after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the city's plea for a new hearing. A city council majority argued the ordinance was necessary to protect public safety, while critics said it criminalized poverty. The appeals court ruled it was an unconstitutional violation of free-speech rights. Worth noting: Stonecipher, an attorney, suggested a revision "in line with the 10th Circuit’s decision." In a concurring opinion and in footnotes, the appeals court judges said the council could have crafted an ordinance more closely aligned with the stated goal of enhancing safety for pedestrians in traffic medians.