LAURIE ROBERTS

Roberts: Arizona Senate votes to silence protests. No, really...

Laurie Roberts
opinion columnist
State Capitol

The Arizona Senate has surpassed even my low expectations of the joint.

That’s right, our leaders on Wednesday actually passed a bill that would give police broad new powers to go after anyone involved in a protest that turns violent. The bill, which passed on a 17-13 partyline vote, is the brainchild of Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City.

Senate Bill 1142 would allow police to seize the assets of anyone involved in a protest that results in property damage -- regardless of whether they were the ones doing the damage.

Consider it Arizona's new approach to crime: guilt by association. Apparently, just being in the vicinity of someone who throws a bottle or breaks a window would be enough for you to lose your car … or heck, maybe even your house.

According to Capitol Media Services' Howard Fischer, SB 1142 would expand the state's racketeering laws -- the ones set up to combat organized crime -- to target organized protests.

In addition to seizing the assets of anyone involved in a protest that turns violent, the bill would allow the police to arrest the protest organizers – regardless of whether they were the ones damaging property.

Lawmaker: Jail isn't enough of a deterrent

It's not good enough, Sen. Sylvia Allen said, to go after the rioters, as the law already allows.

“If they get thrown in jail, somebody pays to get them out,’’ the Snowflake Republican said, during a debate on the bill Wednesday. “There has to be something to deter them from that.’’

And just coincidentally, to go after any who dare speak in protest to that which our leaders are doing?  Because that's the real effect of this bill: to deter protest.

MONTINI: Senate OKs another bill to shut you up

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, told his colleagues that the bill is aimed at stopping protest organizers who have a goal of rioting and damaging property. He  didn’t explain is keen powers of ESP, pinpoint what protest organizers were thinking.

“You now have a situation where you have full-time, almost professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder...,” he explained. “Wouldn’t you rather stop a riot before it starts? Do you really want to wait until people are injuring each other, throwing Molotov cocktails, picking up barricades and smashing them through businesses in downtown Phoenix?”

Put another way, do you really want to allow people to exercise their First Amendment right to speak if you disagree with what they have to say? Wouldn't you rather stop it before it starts?

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