Story highlights A handful of measures across the country would discourage disruptive protests

Critics say the proposed laws would curb First Amendment freedoms

(CNN) It may soon be legal to run over protesters with your car in North Dakota. But only if you do it accidentally.

Lawmakers in that state are set to vote Friday on a bill that would legalize accidentally running over protesters in the road, one of several new measures across the country that aim to discourage disruptive protests.

Rep. Keith Kempenich introduced the North Dakota bill, which states that if a driver "unintentionally" causes injury or death to someone blocking traffic on a roadway, then the driver will not be liable for damages.

Kempenich said he was spurred to act after Dakota Access Pipeline protesters last year moved to block public roadways, scaring some of his constituents.

"It turned from a protest to basically terrorism on the roadways, and the bill got introduced for people to be able to drive down the roads without fear of running into somebody and having to be liable for them," he told CNN.

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