Mesnard says he killed rioting bill because it became politically unacceptable

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Legislation to expand the state’s racketeering and conspiracy statutes to include rioting is dead, at least for this year.

House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said Monday he does not know whether changes in state statutes are needed to go after those who organize violent demonstrations.

“I haven’t heard the policy arguments to decide one way or the other,” he told Capitol Media Services.

But Mesnard said he has decided that the public has concluded  SB1142 would chill the rights of Arizonans to peacefully protest. And that, he said, makes the legislation politically unacceptable.

“You can’t have that many people, whether it does or doesn’t, believing that we’re, in this bill, taking away people’s rights,” Mesnard said.

The decision is a major setback for proponents. That includes Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who became the measure’s biggest defender when it was approved last week by the Republican-controlled Senate on a party line vote.

Read the full story at AZ Capitol Times

Corrie O'Connor