PHOENIX — Arizona legislators quickly approved
emergency legislation Tuesday to head off
picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church near the
funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was
killed in the Tucson shootings. Unanimous votes
by the House and Senate sent the bill to Gov. Jan
Brewer for her expected signature. It would take
effect immediately.
Without specifically mentioning the Tucson
shooting, the proposed law prohibits protests at
or near funeral sites.
Dozens of lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, and
legislative action was completed within 90
minutes. The Senate's committee hearing took
just three minutes.
The Westboro Baptist Church said Monday it
plans to picket Thursday's funeral for Christina
Taylor Green because "God sent the shooter to
deal with idolatrous America." The fundamentalist
church has picketed many military funerals to
draw attention to its view that the deaths are
God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of
homosexuality.
Lawmakers denounced the church's plan to
picket a child's funeral.
"This is just horrific that ... people have to deal
with this. We shouldn't have to do this in time of
great pain for our state," said Sen. Kyrsten
Sinema, a Phoenix Democrat.
The girl was the youngest of the six people killed
during the shooting at an event held by U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords, who was among 14 people
injured. Giffords was shot in the head and
critically wounded.
Numerous states have passed laws restricting
protests at funerals after members of the
Westboro church began protesting at the funerals
of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Arizona legislation is modeled on an Ohio law
that was upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals, Sinema said.
The four-paragraph Arizona bill makes it a
misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in
jail to picket or conduct other protest activities
within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service —
about the length of a football field. The prohibition
applies from one hour before the event to one
hour after.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member and a
daughter of its pastor, said the prohibition
wouldn't matter because church members plan
to picket at one of two intersections more than
1,000 feet from the church where the girl's
service will be held.
Phelps-Roper also said church members plan
picketing Friday in conjunction with a service for
another victim of the shooting, U.S. District Judge
John M. Roll.
Sen. Paula Aboud, a Tucson Democrat, said
volunteers in Tucson were organizing a human
shield to block the protesters from view of victim
family members.
Sinema said the prohibition applies only to funeral
and burial sites because courts have struck down
picketing prohibitions for procession routes.
"This is a good compromise that doesn't trample
our God-given rights," said Senate President
Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican.
Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu
City, voted for the bill but earlier was the only
senator who objected to suspending rules
requiring several days of legislative consideration
before a final vote.
Gould cited the public's right to know what
lawmakers are considering. "And when we
suspend those rules mistakes get made," he
added.
Source: Http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7377196.html
emergency legislation Tuesday to head off
picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church near the
funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was
killed in the Tucson shootings. Unanimous votes
by the House and Senate sent the bill to Gov. Jan
Brewer for her expected signature. It would take
effect immediately.
Without specifically mentioning the Tucson
shooting, the proposed law prohibits protests at
or near funeral sites.
Dozens of lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, and
legislative action was completed within 90
minutes. The Senate's committee hearing took
just three minutes.
The Westboro Baptist Church said Monday it
plans to picket Thursday's funeral for Christina
Taylor Green because "God sent the shooter to
deal with idolatrous America." The fundamentalist
church has picketed many military funerals to
draw attention to its view that the deaths are
God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of
homosexuality.
Lawmakers denounced the church's plan to
picket a child's funeral.
"This is just horrific that ... people have to deal
with this. We shouldn't have to do this in time of
great pain for our state," said Sen. Kyrsten
Sinema, a Phoenix Democrat.
The girl was the youngest of the six people killed
during the shooting at an event held by U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords, who was among 14 people
injured. Giffords was shot in the head and
critically wounded.
Numerous states have passed laws restricting
protests at funerals after members of the
Westboro church began protesting at the funerals
of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Arizona legislation is modeled on an Ohio law
that was upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals, Sinema said.
The four-paragraph Arizona bill makes it a
misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in
jail to picket or conduct other protest activities
within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service —
about the length of a football field. The prohibition
applies from one hour before the event to one
hour after.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member and a
daughter of its pastor, said the prohibition
wouldn't matter because church members plan
to picket at one of two intersections more than
1,000 feet from the church where the girl's
service will be held.
Phelps-Roper also said church members plan
picketing Friday in conjunction with a service for
another victim of the shooting, U.S. District Judge
John M. Roll.
Sen. Paula Aboud, a Tucson Democrat, said
volunteers in Tucson were organizing a human
shield to block the protesters from view of victim
family members.
Sinema said the prohibition applies only to funeral
and burial sites because courts have struck down
picketing prohibitions for procession routes.
"This is a good compromise that doesn't trample
our God-given rights," said Senate President
Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican.
Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu
City, voted for the bill but earlier was the only
senator who objected to suspending rules
requiring several days of legislative consideration
before a final vote.
Gould cited the public's right to know what
lawmakers are considering. "And when we
suspend those rules mistakes get made," he
added.
Source: Http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7377196.html
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