Lawmakers Approve Bill Limiting Funeral Protests

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A bill to keep protesters 1,000 feet away from funerals is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown after a unanimous vote by the California Assembly.

Lawmakers on Thursday approved the bill 72-0 with bipartisan support. The state Senate also gave nearly unanimous backing in June to SB888.

The bill by Sen. Ted Lieu responds to a series of protests by the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. The group has picketed military funerals and contends the deaths reflect God's punishment for tolerating homosexuality.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in March upheld their right to protest. Lieu, a Torrance Democrat and U.S. Air Force veteran, tailored the restrictions in his bill to fit within the Supreme Court ruling.

The bill makes it a misdemeanor to protest within 1,000 feet of a funeral.

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