An effort backed by Salem Mayor Julie Hoy to make it easier for cities and counties to remove homeless people and their belongings from public spaces is a step closer to appearing on Oregon ballots next fall.

Chief petitioners for the initiative, called the Local Control & Safety Act, submitted 1,770 sponsorship signatures Wednesday to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, according to a news release from Oregon Business & Industry. The group is a statewide chamber of commerce that is leading the initiative effort.

The initiative seeks to repeal a 2021 state law that requires cities to justify whether removing someone from the public place they’re sitting, lying or sleeping is “objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner.”

If the Secretary of State’s office verifies 1,000

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