Funeral protest bill going to Governor
6:54 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2007
A bill restricting how close protesters can come to military funerals is going to Governor Sebelius for signature.
The Senate unanimously approved it Thursday.
Under the bill, protesters can't be within 150 feet of a funeral from one hour before to two hours after the end of the service.
Violators could be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail.
The bill is a response to a small Topeka congregation whose members picket burials of U.S. troops killed in combat. They claim the deaths are God's punishment for the nation harboring homosexuals.
The law won't take effect until the Kansas Supreme Court or a federal court rules that it's constitutional.
Funeral Picketing Laws
The 32 states that have enacted legislation on funeral protests: Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
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