Republican lawmakers are looking for ways to deal with highway protests, many of which shut down major roadways across the nation in 2016. So far three sates have proposed new laws, creating stiffer penalties for demonstrators who block federal highways.
The first proposal, which made headlines several weeks back, was in the state of North Dakota. In response to Dakota Access Pipeline protests that shut down highways in Morton County for months, Rep. Keith Kempenich authored a bill to protect drivers who run over highway protestors.
“A driver of a motor vehicle who negligently causes injury or death to an individual obstructing vehicular traffic on a public road, street, or highway may not be held liable for any damages,” the bill reads. “A driver of a motor vehicle who unintentionally causes injury or death to an individual obstructing vehicular traffic on a public road, street, or highway is not guilty of an offense.”
In Iowa, hundreds of protestors blocked Interstate 80 after the election of Donald Trump, halting traffic on the busy trucking route outside of Iowa City.
Lawmakers in the state have proposed a bill which would increase fines for protestors from $100 to $7500. According to NPR, violators could also be charged with a felony and get up to five years in jail.
“You’re not just stopping traffic. You’re impeding law enforcement ability to get to call where there could be serious life-threatening situations,” said Sen. Jake Chapman.
Lawmakers in Minnesota have already passed a rule that would fine protestors for the cost of policing highway protests. The bill was drafted after Black Lives Matters protests shut down Interstate 94 for five hours last year.
“These individuals have broken the law,” said Rep. Nick Zerwas at a hearing. “It is against state statute to be on the freeway.” He defended the bill by arguing that tax payers shouldn’t be on the hook for the costs of policing highway-blocking protests.
