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In the wake of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests, Republican lawmakers are advancing a a number of new anti-protest measures at the state level including multiple bills that specifically make it easier for drivers to run down protesters.
The most recent example of such a law came Wednesday, when Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a new law that effectively allows drivers to hit people with a car in a specific set of circumstances.
Under the new law, an Oklahoma driver will no longer be liable for striking or even killing a person if the driver is “fleeing from a riot . under a reasonable belief that fleeing was necessary to protect the motor vehicle operator from serious injury or death.”
Robyn PennacchiaApril 16, 2021 12:18 PM
Screenshot of James Alex Fields driving into protestors at Unite the Right Rally.
On August 12, 2017, neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a crowd of counter-protestors at the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. In 2019, Fields was sentenced to life in prison plus 419 years.
But if it were up to Republicans in the Florida legislature, he d be free. Not because they believe in prison abolition (this is, after all, Florida) or are concerned about the wider effects of inflating prison sentences beyond a natural human life nope! They just want what he did to not be a crime
Backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, a bill in the Texas House would enhance penalties for individuals who allegedly participated in a riot. But a civil rights watchdog says it could harm protesters’ right to free expression.
Republican State Rep. Brooks Landgraf introduced the bill, HB 2461, on Monday, saying it would both “protect” First Amendment rights and crack down on “rioters,” according to a news release.
Landgraf represents the state s District 81, which includes Ector, Andrews, Ward and Winkler counties, located in the western part of Texas.
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“HB 2461 will protect the ability of Texans to exercise their constitutional rights by properly punishing those who seek to take advantage of peaceful protests through violence, looting and intimidation,” Landgraf said.