Gov. Brewer signed emergency legislation Tuesday establishing 'funeral protection zones.' Arizona blocks funeral protests

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed emergency legislation Tuesday establishing “funeral protection zones” to keep protesters away from the memorial services for the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Tucson.

Earlier in the day, the Arizona Legislature passed the bill unanimously.


The measure - aimed at the Rev. Fred Phelps and other members of the Westboro Baptist Church who announced plans to picket outside the Thursday funeral of 9-year-old victim Christina-Taylor Green - won bipartisan support. It will take effect immediately.

“Such despicable acts of emotional terrorism will not be tolerated in the State of Arizona. This legislation will assure that the victims of Saturday’s tragic shooting in Tucson will be laid to rest in peace with the full dignity and respect that they deserve,” the Republican governor said in a statement.

The Westboro church on Wednesday announced it was dropping plans to protest at the funeral, but said that had nothing to do with the new law, which will establish a 300-foot perimeter around a funeral location beginning one hour before a service until one hour after a service.

“They want to protest at the grave site of a 9-year-old girl, and we want to stop him,” said state Sen. Paula Aboud (D-Tucson), referring to Phelps, who plans to picket outside Green’s funeral.

“I read Westboro’s press release and wanted to vomit I was so angry. It was sickening,” said state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Phoenix Democrat and the bill’s primary sponsor. Sinema is a Tucson native and a friend of several of the shooting victims.

The church “has a national reputation for trying to denigrate funerals of people who have served this country bravely. When I found out they were coming to Arizona, I was like, ‘Oh no you’re not,’”

She added, “We can’t stop them from being hateful, but we can keep them away from people who are grieving.”

The legislation is based on an Ohio law, which recently survived a challenge in federal court from the Westboro group. Anyone found guilty of violating the Arizona law would face misdemeanor charges.

Information posted on the church’s website praises the gunman and says the killings were the result of God being angry because the country hasn’t repented its sins.

The Republican and Democratic parties in Pima County are asking people to gather Thursday to create a human barricade to protect Green’s family from protesters, The Arizona Republic reported.