(The Center Square) – A local Missouri health department has told Kathy Kite, a grandmother who serves free breakfast to her neighbors from her home, that she will face legal action if she continues doing so without a permit.
That letter came in July, and Kite has continued to serve breakfast since. Think tank and public interest law firm the Goldwater Institute has taken up her cause.
kAm“r:E:K6?D D9@F=5 ?@E 36 C6BF:C65 E@ 86E E96 8@G6C?>6?E’D A6C>:DD:@? 367@C6 @776C:?8 A2DD6CD\3J D@>6 4@7766 2?5 2 3:E6 E@ 62E H9:=6 E96J D@4:2=:K6[” s2G6 #@=2?5[ E96 x?DE:EFE6’D s:C64E@C @7 p==:65 {:E:82E:@?[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAmqC62<72DE 2E z:E6’D DE2CE65 2D 2 ;@<6 324< :? |2J] %96 =@42= 82D DE2E:@? 925 DE@AA65 D6CG:?8 3C62<72DE[ 2?5 H96? z:E6 2D<65 @?6 @7 E96 @H?6CD 23@FE :E[ 96 8@2565 96C :?E@ >2<:?8 D@>6 2E 96C 9@FD6[ D6?5:?8 D@>6 =@42=D 96C H2J]k^Am
kAm“x D2:5[ ~z[ 4@>6 @? @G6C[ 8FJD] xV== >2<6 J@F 3C62<72DE[” z:E6 D2:5[ C64@F?E:?8 E96 DE@CJ] “$@ E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8[ x 8@E FA 2E =:<6 c @V4=@4< :? E96 >@C?:?8 3642FD6 E96J 4@>6 2E =:<6 7:G6]”k^Am
kAmxE 8C6H 7C@> E96C6]k^Am
kAm}@H D96 >2<6D a_\ad D6CG:?8D – H9:49 z:E6 ?@E65 FDF2==J 2>@F?ED E@ 23@FE 6:89E E@ `_ A6@A=6[ H9@ @7E6? E2<6 D@>6 7@C E96:C 72>:=:6D – D:I 52JD 2 H66<[ 2?5 D96 5@6D :E 2== 7C66 @7 492C86] $96 <66AD 2 ;2C @FE H96C6 A6@A=6 42? 5@?2E6[ 3FE 5@?2E:@?D 2C6 6?E:C6=J G@=F?E2CJ] z:E6 D2:5 96C A2C6?ED E2F89E 96C E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 E9@D6 :? ?665]k^Am
kAm“|J >@> 2?5 525 H6C6 C2:D65 :? E96 s6AC6DD:@?[ 2?5 D@ H6 H6C6 C2:D65 962C:?8 E96 DE@C:6D @7 9@H E96J H6?E 9F?8CJ[” z:E6 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “|J >@> @?46 E@=5 >6[ D96 D2:5[ ‘*@F ?6G6C <?@H H96? J@FVC6 6?E6CE2:?:?8 2? 2?86=] $@ :7 D@>6@?6 4@>6D E@ J@FC 5@@C[ J@F H6=4@>6 E96> :?[ 2?5 J@F 8:G6 E96> D@>6E9:?8 E@ 5C:?<] x7 E96JVC6 9F?8CJ[ J@F 7665 E96>]’”k^Am
kAmqFE E96 =@42= 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E C646:G65 2? 2?@?J>@FD 4@>A=2:?E E92E 4=2:>65 z:E6’D 7@@5 925 >256 A6@A=6 D:4< 2?5 E92E 96C 9@>6 H2D “G6CJ 5:CEJ 2?5 D96 925 2 =@E @7 42ED E92E >256 :E F?D2?:E2CJ]”k^Am
kAmz:E6 D2JD D96 5@6D?’E 92G6 2?J 42ED 2?5 :D ?@E 2H2C6 @7 96C 7@@5 92G:?8 >256 2?J@?6 D:4<] z:E6 D2:5 96C 52F89E6C @H?D 2 4=62?:?8 4@>A2?J 2?5 2=D@ 96=AD z:E6 4=62? 96C 9@>6]k^Am
kAm%96 r@=F>3:2^q@@?6 r@F?EJ s6A2CE>6?E @7 !F3=:4 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D D6?E z:E6 2 =6EE6C :? yF=J E9C62E6?:?8 =682= 24E:@? :7 D96 4@?E:?F65 AC@G:5:?8 7C66 3C62<72DED E@ 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD H:E9@FE 2 A6C>:E @C 2 4@>>6C4:2= <:E496?[ H9:49 H@F=5 =:<6=J C6BF:C6 E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD E@ :?DE2==]k^Am
kAm“p 4@>A=2:?E 92D 366? :DDF65 7@C ,z:E6’D 255C6DD]. %96 C6D:56?E :D 2==6865=J D6CG:?8 :E6>D E92E 2C6 ?@E 2AAC@G65 F?56C 4@EE286 =2H[ >2<:?8 E96 3FD:?6DD DF3;64E E@ :?DA64E:@?] %96C67@C6[ J@F 2C6 4FCC6?E=J :? G:@=2E:@? @7 %96 r:EJ @7 r@=F>3:2 u@@5 r@56 ?F>36CD g\b_`]``[” E96 =6EE6C DE2E6D]k^Am
kAmxE 8@6D @? E@ 4:E6 E96 4@56]k^Am
kAm“p A6CD@? D92== ?@E @A6C2E6 2 7@@5 6DE23=:D9>6?E H:E9@FE 2 G2=:5 A6C>:E E@ @A6C2E6 :DDF65 3J E96 C68F=2E@CJ 2FE9@C:EJ]”k^Am
kAm&?56C |:DD@FC: =2H[ A6@A=6 2C6 2==@H65 E@ D6== 7@@5D 2AAC@G65 F?56C 4@EE286 =2H – =:<6 32<65 8@@5D 2?5 42??65 ;2>D – 3FE E96 =2H 5@6D?’E D66> E@ 5:776C6?E:2E6 36EH66? E9@D6 DFAA=J:?8 F?2AAC@G65 7@@5D 7@C 7C66 @C 7@C D2=6]k^Am
kAm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 2D<65 E96 56A2CE>6?E H96E96C E92E :?4=F565 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D @?6 >:89E 92G6 @G6C 7@C 5:??6C]k^Am
kAm“xE :D ?@E :==682= E@ D6CG6 7@@5 E@ 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D] u@@5 6DE23=:D9>6?ED 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ 92G6 2 A6C>:E[” HC@E6 pFDE:? zC@9?[ 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C E96 56A2CE>6?E[ :? C6DA@?D6] “pE E96 E:>6 E96 7:CDE 4@>A=2:?E H2D C646:G65[ |D] z:E6’D 9@>6 925 2? @A6? D:8?[ E:A ;2C[ 25G6CE:D65 7@@5 @? D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 2 D:8? :? 96C J2C5 – 2== E9:?8D EJA:42==J 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 2 7@@5 6DE23=:D9>6?E]”k^Am
kAmz:E6 4=2:>D D96 3@F89E E96 @A6? D:8? E@ =6E A6@A=6 <?@H H96? E96J 4@F=5 4@>6 3J]k^Am
kAm%96 v@=5H2E6C x?DE:EFE6 D2JD E92E 7@@5 4@56D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 72:= E@ 4=62C=J 5:DE:?8F:D9 36EH66? 4@>>6C4:2= 7@@5 6DE23=:D9>6?ED 2?5 ?@?4@>>6C4:2= 7@@5 D6CG:46] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 56A2CE>6?E[ E96 7C2>6H@C< 7@C E96 4FCC6?E 7@@5 4@56 H2D 6DE23=:D965 :? `hea[ 2?5 DE2E6 A@=:4:6D H6C6 :? A=246 367@C6 E96?]k^Am
kAm“%96 >@56= 7@@5 4@56 E92E’D 366? 25@AE65 @G6C 2?5 @G6C 2== @G6C E96 4@F?ECJ :D HC:EE6? D@ 3C@25=J E92E :E 42? :?5665 36 2AA=:65 @FED:56 @7 4@>>6C4:2= 4@?E6IED[” #@=2?5 D2:5 @? 2 =@42= C25:@ D9@H]k^Am
kAm%9:D 92D =65 E@ @E96C :?DE2?46D H96C6 492C:E23=6 A6@A=6 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D 92G6 4@>6 :?E@ 4@?7=:4E H:E9 962=E9 56A2CE>6?ED] x? kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]56?G6CA@DE]4@>^a_ad^``^`g^4@=@C25@\56?G6C\962=E9\:?DA64E:@?D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmD@>6 42D6Dk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ 962=E9 56A2CE>6?ED 92G6 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2D9:?8E@?A@DE]4@>^?2E:@?^a_`g^``^`b^<2?D2D\4:EJ\962=E9\@77:4:2=D\A@FC\3=6249\7@@5\>256\9@>6=6DD\H2C?:?8\G@=F?E66CD\DE@A^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm3=624965k^2mk^DEC@?8m F?A6C>:EE65 7@@5] #@=2?5 2=D@ 5676?565 2 $E] {@F:D A2DE@C H9@ D6CG65 7@@5 E@ E96 9@>6=6DD 7@C C@F89=J c_ J62CD 367@C6 9:D >:?:DECJ 42>6 F?56C 7:C6 3J =@42= 962=E9 @77:4:2=D]k^Am
kAm%9:D 42D6 :D 5:776C6?E 6G6? E92? E9@D6[ #@=2?5 ?@E6D[ 3642FD6 z:E6 :D D6CG:?8 A6@A=6 :? 96C @H? 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“p>6C:42?D 92G6 2=H2JD 6>3C2465 E96 G:CEF6 @7 @A6?:?8 E96:C 9@>6D 2?5 E23=6D E@ 7C:6?5D[ 72>:=J[ 2?5 6G6? DEC2?86CD – 2?5 E96C6 92D ?6G6C 366? 2 ?665 E@ 86E E96 8@G6C?>6?EVD A6C>:DD:@? E@ 6?8286 :? E9:D D@CE @7 9@DA:E2=:EJ[” #@=2?5 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAm#@=2?5 2C8F65 :? 2 =6EE6C E@ E96 r@=F>3:2^q@@?6 r@F?EJ 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E DF3>:EE65 %9FCD52J E92E z:E6’D C:89E E@ AC@G:56 7C66 7@@5 :? 96C 9@>6 DE2?5D @? =682= AC64656?E D6E 3J E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 2?5 E92E |:DD@FC:’D 7@@5 4@56 >2J G:@=2E6 3@E9 E96 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= r@?DE:EFE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 =6EE6C 8:G6D E96 56A2CE>6?E F?E:= uC:52J[ pF8] ag[ E@ C6DA@?5] x7 :E 9@=5D :ED 8C@F?5[ E96 v@=5H2E6C x?DE:EFE6 D2JD :E >2J 7:=6 2 =2HDF:E]k^Am
