FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill that would have prohibited mass picketing at or near a business, school or private facility and protests that would disrupt travel on public streets.

Senate Bill 550 would have made “unlawful mass picketing” a misdemeanor, and it was decried by the ACLU of Arkansas.

Hutchinson called the legislation “vague, overbroad and will have the effect of restricting both free speech and the right to assemble.”

The bill was introduced by Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, and the legislator said he’s “disappointed” it was vetoed.

Garner said he brought the bill forward after he saw Arkansas school children being attacked during a trip to Washington, D.C. He said the bill was designed to prevent protesters from blocking roads that average Arkansans use to get to their jobs. It was also designed to prevent people from being harassed outside their homes by demonstrators.

The senator told KNWA he may push to override the governor’s veto during Sine Die, which begins when the Arkansas House and Senate reconvene on May 1.

Garner introduced the bill on March 2, and it was passed by the Arkansas Senate on March 31.

After the bill was vetoed, the ACLU of Arkansas released the following statement.