We opposed a piece of legislation which would have made interference with traffic by standing, sitting, kneeling, or otherwise loitering on a highway a felony crime punishable by three years in prison. Our testimony noted that not only would this bill target individuals engaged in First Amendment activity, but the provisions of this bill were overly harsh and broad – the penalty for this crime, for example, would be more severe than the penalties for drunk driving or “driving so as to endanger” offenses. In addition to the concerning implications for individuals engaging in protest, the mandatory sentence contained in this bill would have made these penalties even more alarming and prompted our urging of the rejection of this legislation.
A second piece of legislation concerning this issue, H 6269, was introduced in the House later in the session as an updated version of H 5001. We additionally opposed this bill. These bills died in committee in both the House and the Senate.
