In an age of perpetual left-wing outrage, more and more jurisdictions are getting fed up with protests that evolve into violent, destructive riots, and that now includes North Carolina.
North Carolina lawmakers approved stricter penalties for rioters for the second time in three years on Thursday. The measure was introduced in response to the violent protests that erupted in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, Fox News reported.
House Bill 40 has been approved and is now awaiting the signature of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. It is worth noting that a similar bill was vetoed by Cooper in 2021, which was approved by the GOP-controlled General Assembly. However, with Republicans gaining more seats in November, they can override Cooper’s veto with the help of just one House Democrat, provided that GOP majorities remain united, the outlet noted.
The purpose of the bill is to safeguard the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters, while ensuring their safety as well as that of law enforcement and property owners during any riot.
Last month, six House Democrats, including one of the bill’s chief sponsors, voted in favor of the measure. On Thursday, the bill was passed by the Senate with a 27-16 vote, with only first-term Senator Mary Wills Bode, the lone Democrat, voting in favor of it.
House Speaker Tim Moore supported the bill on both occasions it was introduced, citing the inefficacy of current laws in deterring rioting and looting during the June 2020 events in downtown Raleigh. He urged Cooper to sign the “commonsense bill into law without delay” after it was passed by the Senate on Thursday, according to Fox News.
“… in light of the rampant increase in crime in our state and across the nation, I urge Governor Cooper to sign this commonsense bill into law without delay." #ncpol #ncga https://t.co/4C9BsW5yoa
— Speaker Tim Moore (@NCHouseSpeaker) March 9, 2023
The measures have faced pushback from social justice and civil rights advocates, who argue that they disproportionately target Black Lives Matter demonstrators and marginalized groups by attempting to deter them from peaceful protests, The Associated Press reported. This opposition has been consistent throughout the approval process of the bill.
During the Senate floor debate on Thursday, Republican Senator Danny Britt of Robeson County stated that the bill solely aims to punish “violent actors” who cause chaos, and not peaceful protestors, which would not pass constitutional muster.
Critics of the bill argue that existing laws already address rioting, and that the language in the bill is too broad, according to the outlet.
Democratic Sen. Natalie Murdock of Durham County stated that the bill “doubles down on the punitive system that created the scars of mass incarceration that we’re still dealing with today.” She further criticized the bill for potentially “stifling free speech, criminalizing protest and eroding our First Amendment freedoms.”
In April 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a similar “anti-riot” bill, Fox News pointed out.
“If you look at the breadth of this particular piece of legislation, it is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country,” DeSantis said at a press conference at the time. “There’s just nothing even close.”
