Despite a ruling by the United States Supreme Court last month giving controversial military protesters the right to demonstrate, a group of lawmakers still wants to tighten restrictions on their movements. At issue is the behavior of picketers from Westboro Baptist Church who protest military funerals across the country, carrying hateful signs like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." The church believes the United States' tolerance of gays and lesbians is the cause of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Fox News reports that a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the SERVE (Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans) Act which would keep protesters at least 300 feet away from military funerals, and 500 feet from funeral routes. Republican Senator Olympia Snow of Maine told Fox:
Current law requires protesters to remain 150 feet from military funerals, and 300 feet from the routes of military funerals.
