North Carolina's Anti-Riot Bill Awaiting Governor's Signature

According to a report from Fox News, North Carolina lawmakers have approved more severe punishments for the second time in three years.

House Bill 40 waits for Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to add his signature. In 2021, Cooper vetoed a similar bill the GOP-controlled General Assembly put forth in 2021. With the Republicans holding enough seats, the party isn’t worrying about a repeat “veto” performance as long as the GOP parties remain united and one of the House Democrats joins them in getting the bill passed.

House Bill 40 is to provide peaceful protesters with the protection of their rights that the First Amendment guarantees. The bill passed the House last month and passed Thursday in the Senate with a vote of 27 to 16.

March 12, 2023

House Speaker Tim Moore, who supported the bill, noted current laws did nothing to stop or hinder rioters in June 2020 in downtown Raleigh when the area was under attack by rioters. Moore urges the governor to sign the “commonsense bill into law immediately."

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The Associated Press reports there has been pushback by civil rights and social justice advocates who feel marginalized groups are being targeted by attempting to frighten these groups from peacefully protesting.

Republican Senator Danny Britt said on the Senate floor that “violent actors” who disrupted peaceful demonstrations were the only targets.

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The governor’s spokesperson, Jordan Monaghan, said Cooper “has worked to increase public safety and protect constitutional rights, and he will review this legislation.” Cooper’s reason for vetoing the 2021 bill was that it wasn’t necessary and was “intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to protest peacefully."

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According to the AP, the new bill will increase punishments already in place and possibly result in longer sentences in prison.

The bill also helps property owners who’ve experienced damage during a protest seek compensation against the perpetrator. Defendants accused of looting or rioting would also be affected with sterner rules to ensure a “cooling-off period."

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Since the nationwide riots in 2020, the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law says nine states have already passed similar laws. North Carolina and several other states currently have new penalties for rioters under consideration.