Grand Canyon Times

House Bill 2309, authored by Rep. Bret Roberts (R-Maricopa), has advanced through the Military Affairs and Public Safety committee.

If signed into law there would be a new crime that will define damage to property or damage to someone with the intent to cause a disorderly or illegal meeting with at least seven persons as a “violent or disorderly assembly,” and will “enact a minimum of six months in jail for someone convicted of assaulting an officer, which is already automatically considered aggravated assault under Arizona law.”

It will also elevate aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer to a class 6 felony as opposed to a class 1 misdemeanor, heighten criminal damage worth more than $250 but less than $1,000 to a class 6 felony instead of a class 1 misdemeanor, obstructing a public thoroughfare will become class 6 felony versus a class 1 misdemeanor, a public nuisance charge to be a class 6 felony instead of a class 2 misdemeanor, abuse of venerated objects as class 6 felony instead of a class 2 misdemeanor, and make using fireworks a class 6 felony.

It was reported by azcentral that Roberts pushed for the bill in response to recent protests, and he wanted stronger sanctions to discourage people from turning to violence.

Roberts defends the bill from those opposing it, stating “I support the First Amendment, you know, free speech. But there’s a portion of that that says ‘peaceably assemble,’ and when you cross that line of where you’re failing to peaceably assemble, then that’s where I have a problem with it.”