Louisiana Senate Passes Bills Protecting Funerals From Protesters

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL) -- Westboro Baptist Church, the Louisiana legislature is looking at you.

The Senate Friday voted through legislation that would create a protest-free buffer zone of 300 feet from a funeral and 500 feet from a burial service.

Delhi Sen. Francis Thompson, who sponsored the bill, said his bill was crafted in response to the controversial church's protests at military funerals.

"Groups across this nation that have been notarized by doing that sort of distasteful disruptions and affecting funerals of veterans," Thompson said. "People that know of this, like you and I, how horrible it is, realize that we don't need this interference with any type of veteran funerals."

The bill would also prevent protesters from doing so two hours before and after a funeral. It would likewise raise the current fine to $500.

Thompson's legislation has widespread support, including from Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The bill now moves to the House.