State Legislator Will Not Reintroduce His Protest-Crowd-Control Bill
Events in Charlottesville over the weekend are prompting one Indiana legislator to reflect on a bill he proposed in January.
State Senator James Tomes introduced a measure that would require law enforcement to clear protesters from roadways by “any means necessary.” After pushback from other lawmakers, the bill didn’t get a vote. Tomes says he didn’t want to restrict protesters’ rights, but he wanted regulations to protect both life and property. “I don’t think it should be done in a manner where it causes destruction or it leads to injury, or in cases like this where somebody is killed, what has that accomplished?”
Tomes says he does not plan to introduce legislation on this issue again.