Lawmakers vote to ban picketing at Tucson funerals
TUCSON, AZ
Unanimous votes by the House and Senate cleared the way for the
bill to go to Gov. Jan Brewer later Tuesday for her expected
signature. It would take effect immediately.
Without specifically mentioning the Tucson shooting, the
proposed law would prohibit 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 the funeral of a
child.
"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 would make it a misdemeanor 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 would be in effect 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 would only apply 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.