Missourian
Diamond Member
WASHINGTON -- California and other states seeking to curtail funeral protests are following a politically popular but legally disputable path.
Supreme Court, here they come.
This week, California lawmakers joined their counterparts in Arizona, Illinois and other states in passing tougher new restrictions on protests at funerals. In particular, legislators hope to deter members of a small, aggressively loud Kansas church who travel long distances to picket military funerals, where they often proclaim that dead soldiers are God's punishment for America's sins.
"I think this will survive constitutional challenge," California Democratic state Sen. Ted Lieu said of his bill Friday, "but that's not to say there aren't legal issues raised."
Supreme Court, here they come.
This week, California lawmakers joined their counterparts in Arizona, Illinois and other states in passing tougher new restrictions on protests at funerals. In particular, legislators hope to deter members of a small, aggressively loud Kansas church who travel long distances to picket military funerals, where they often proclaim that dead soldiers are God's punishment for America's sins.
"I think this will survive constitutional challenge," California Democratic state Sen. Ted Lieu said of his bill Friday, "but that's not to say there aren't legal issues raised."