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Republican Lawmakers Are Using the Capitol Riot to Fuel Anti-BLM Backlash
https://theappeal.org/capitol-insurrection-anti-black-lives-matter-legislation/In September, Florida governor and Trump ally Ron DeSantis proposed a bill dubbed the Combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act to create new criminal penalties for offenses commonly committed during protests. He said it was needed to stop the “professional agitators bent on sowing disorder and causing mayhem in our cities” following months of largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protests.
Hours after a far-right mob stormed the Capitol at the behest of the president, Florida Republicans introduced a version of the bill. That night, DeSantis said the violence in Washington shows that lawmakers “have no time to waste to uphold public safety” and must “swiftly pass this bill.”
DeSantis isn’t alone. Within the past year, lawmakers in 24 states have introduced at least 45 bills to create new penalties or increase criminal penalties for offenses related to protesting, discourage cuts to police funding, and provide protections to people who drive their cars into protesters or shoot protesters in an alleged act of self defense. Six of those bills—one in Utah, one in Mississippi, one in West Virginia, one in Tennessee and two in South Dakota—have been signed into law.
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After the violence at the Capitol, some lawmakers have renewed calls to expand domestic terrorism laws. President-elect Joe Biden has proposed working for a domestic terrorism law “that respects free speech and civil liberties.” But many others have cautioned against harsher laws, noting that police and prosecutors already have all the tools they need to go after white supremacists and other domestic terrorists, and that expanding their powers would only harm communities that are already over-policed and over-prosecuted. Similarly, experts say laws creating new criminal penalties for protesting are sure to be used mainly against minority groups—not far right extremists.
Hours after a far-right mob stormed the Capitol at the behest of the president, Florida Republicans introduced a version of the bill. That night, DeSantis said the violence in Washington shows that lawmakers “have no time to waste to uphold public safety” and must “swiftly pass this bill.”
DeSantis isn’t alone. Within the past year, lawmakers in 24 states have introduced at least 45 bills to create new penalties or increase criminal penalties for offenses related to protesting, discourage cuts to police funding, and provide protections to people who drive their cars into protesters or shoot protesters in an alleged act of self defense. Six of those bills—one in Utah, one in Mississippi, one in West Virginia, one in Tennessee and two in South Dakota—have been signed into law.
(snip)
After the violence at the Capitol, some lawmakers have renewed calls to expand domestic terrorism laws. President-elect Joe Biden has proposed working for a domestic terrorism law “that respects free speech and civil liberties.” But many others have cautioned against harsher laws, noting that police and prosecutors already have all the tools they need to go after white supremacists and other domestic terrorists, and that expanding their powers would only harm communities that are already over-policed and over-prosecuted. Similarly, experts say laws creating new criminal penalties for protesting are sure to be used mainly against minority groups—not far right extremists.
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