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Senate Judiciary committee hears public testimony on first-responder interference bill, adopts news exemption
Summary
The committee held a public hearing on SB 293, the First Responder Interference Act, heard proponents and opponents about responder safety and free‑speech risks, and adopted an amendment exempting bona fide news‑gathering activities.
A Senate Judiciary Committee public hearing on SB 293 on the First Responder Interference Act centered on whether a 25‑foot buffer around responders should be criminalized and how the law would be applied.
Senator Weaver introduced the bill as a measure to protect responders: the proposal would make it a Class A misdemeanor for a person who, after being instructed to leave, approaches or remains within 25 feet of a first responder (law enforcement, firefighter or EMS) and impedes, threatens or otherwise harasses them. "If a first responder ... is in their role as a first responder doing their duty and a person approaches or remains in 25 ft of them or tries…
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