Feeling that it’s time to “make America safe again,” Republican state legislators are hard at work filing laws to enact harsher punishments for those charged with activities that show disrespect for authority or increase commute times.
Give GOP lawmakers credit. They are attacking this terrible protester issue on top of all the other things they’re doing to “make America safe again;” like passing laws to permit concealed carry across state lines, dismantling healthcare, repealing protections for LGTB people, blocking rules that require background checks before people with mental health issues can buy guns, repealing President Obama’s water quality bill, and a bill limiting methane pollution, repealing an order that requires federal contractors to disclose labor law violations, and other Obama-era laws that large GOP donors, like the Koch Brothers and the NRA charge are too burdensome, and or, violate the Constitution, as they interpret it, which clearly doesn't include freedom of speech.
Examples of some of America’s intrepid Republican lawmakers policy proposals include Indiana State Sen. Jim Tomes’ proposed bill (SB 285) that would require public officials to dispatch police within 15 minutes of reported “mass traffic obstructions” with instructions to clear them by “any means necessary.”
Iowa lawmakers introduced a bill that, if passed, would mean protesters who blocked highways could be charged with felonies carrying penalties of five years in prison. Just coincidently, Republicans rescinded an Obama administration order to phase out the use of private-prison contracts in the federal Bureau of Prisons. GEO Group, one of the nation’s largest for-profit prison operators, donated $250,000 to support Trump’s inaugural festivities. They were disappointed their investment didn’t payoff immediately with the arrest of at least a couple hundred thousand of the millions of disrespectful women who marched the day after Trump’s inauguration.
The Arizona Senate, not to be outdone by the Cornhuskers, approved Senate Bill 1142 which expands the definition of rioting to include “damage to the property of another person, and adds rioting to the list of offenses that could fall under racketeering.
State Democratic legislators warned that SB1142’s provisions could theoretically be used in tandem to bring charges against peaceful protesters at a demonstration where other participants use violence. State Senator John Kavanaugh told the Capitol Times that the bill was aimed at “full-time, almost professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder.” He also indicated the bill’s racketeering provisions could be used by police to investigate protest organizers ahead of time. Now there’s an idea that Mr. Putin would second, except that he would advocate using poison as part of the investigative toolkit.
Minnesota Republican lawmakers approved legislation that would increase penalties and charge demonstrators the cost of policing protests. It may be that they hope to use the added revenue to pay for the renovation of Bloomington’s Water Park of America.
When asked about the fuzzy wording of his bill, and what would constitute “economic terrorism,” Ericksen said any sort of "economic disruption" or anything that could "jeopardize human life and property." Violators could face five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. So, Erickson is also coming through for the private prison folks who’ve contributed so generously to Republican coffers, to say nothing of the oil and gas industry donors to his campaign— The 42nd District includes two oil refineries and a controversial proposed coal-export terminal.
According to reports, the U.S. is set to rival Russia in oil and gas exports. With Republican lawmakers hard at work, America may rival Russia in other ways, as well; to a place where anything that isn’t permitted, is prohibited, and anything that is permitted, is compulsory. Get ready to attend Trump’s 2020 inauguration!
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