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Missouri lawmakers pass funeral protest law change

funeral
Tony Alter
/
flickr

Missouri lawmakers have sent Gov. Jay Nixon a bill designed to clear up potential confusion about the state law restricting protests at funerals.

The law now requires protesters to stay 300 feet away from funeral sites, from an hour before they start until an hour after services end. But a federal appeals court ruled that buffer zone could not be enforced in regard to funeral processions.

The measure that passed with a unanimous Senate vote Wednesday specifies that processions are not included in the protest ban. The House approved the bill previously.

Another federal judge upheld the rest of Missouri's law, but the bill could stave off future lawsuits.

The legal challenge was brought by a Kansas church that denounces homosexuality and frequently protests atfunerals.

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