Republican legislators in states from Florida to Iowa are creating harsher penalties for protesters
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Republicans are passing state laws that crack down on protesters
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It’s a big week for the Republican-driven “Back the Blue” bill and one it’s key supporters, District 78 State Representative Jarad Klein (R) of Keota.
The legislation passed out of the House last week and is slated for floor debate starting Wednesday in the Senate. The bill calls for more protection of law enforcement officers in times of civil unrest like the protests in Iowa City last summer. It increases rioting from a misdemeanor to a felony charge, which Democrats say could pit racial justice protestors against law enforcement. Klein says that shouldn’t be a problem if protesters do so peacefully, “Listen here, I’ve got no problem, in fact I encourage protesting, peaceful protesting. So many good things have happened as a result of peaceful protesting in our country’s history that we just need to encourage that, but at the same time, when it turns violent, that’s a different ballgame.”