By AP
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. lawmaker sees little impact on protest bill
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma senator who's sponsoring a bill to limit protests at funerals says he doesn't think a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing a fundamentalist church to protest outside military funerals will affect his bill.
The court ruled 8-1 Wednesday that the First Amendment protects Westboro Baptist Church members who have held anti-gay protests at funerals.
Republican state Sen. Josh Brecheen is sponsoring a bill to prohibit protests for two hours before and after a funeral and to no closer than 1,000 feet of the service. Current law prohibits protests within 500 feet and an hour before and after a funeral.