A bill that would hike the penalty for protesters who block highway traffic has cleared an Iowa Senate committee. All the Republicans on the panel voted for the measure, including Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig.
After the 2016 election, an anti-Trump protest in Iowa City wound up blocking traffic on Interstate 80. Schultz says the passions of protesters weren’t the only concern.
If the bill were to become law, a protester caught blocking traffic on a road with a speed limit of at least 55 miles per hour would be charged with a serious misdemeanor. That could land someone in jail for up to a year. Similar legislation was considered in at least 18 states last year. Critics say the measures infringe on free speech rights.
