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From EfficientGov-August 18, 2017 Food Trucks Sue Cities Over Distance Ordinances From Baltimore to Branson,Mo., some food truck vendors say cities' distance ordinances destroy them, and then are fighting back in court. Food trucks argue that local distance ordinances can choke their fledgling industry, and disenfranchise their abilities to make aIjliving. Fights over food truck distance restrictions are beginning to play out in court. A Baltimore judge on Aug. 14, ruled that a lawsuit brought against the cite by two food truck owners should go to trial in late September. The suit against the 1Vlaryland cite, filed last near,is in an attempt to change local restrictions. The complainants, who own the trucks Pizza di Joey and MindGrub Cafe, are contesting the ordinance that forbids food trucks from operating within 300 feet of a brick-and-mortar store that sells a similar foodproproduct, accordingmg to an article m the 7rr, s YY1YY Street Vendor Defenders Representing the Baltimore mobile restaurateurs is The Institute for Justice (IJ), a Virginia-based nonprofit law firm that has championed and represented the food-truck industry for several years. IJ's position is that similar laws restricting food trucks are unconstitutional and protect immobile restaurants. Customers, not city hall, should decide where and from whom then buv things," said Robert Frommer, senior attorney at IJ and executive director of its National Street Vending Initiative. The lawsuit is the latest to fall under the umbrella of IJ's National Street Vending Initiative, "a nationwide effort to vindicate the right of street vendors to earn an honest living by fighting unconstitutional vending restrictions in courts of law and the court of public opinion," ,c ;o) rdi , O, rod Competition is the American way," Frommer said. "It makes us all work harder to provide a better product to our customers, and state and local government should be encouraging it not shutting it down." Punishing ista ce Ordinances Similarly, IJ also represents two food-truck owners from Louisville, Kv., suing the city over its 150- foot proximity restrictions on trucks selling food similar to nearby restaurants without their permission. Mobile vendors face fines and the threat of having trucks shut down or towed if they break this law. The Louisville j'r; was filed June 28th in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of