The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday reported favorably on a bill that would make it illegal for demonstrators to hold protests at private residences in their neighborhoods.

The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), said, “This bill would allow local residents to introduce any local ordinance that could replace the content of the state bill.” said. “Many cities have noise ordinances or have to get a parade permit to march down the street. can really cause problems. This bill doesn't just apply to elected officials. It could be anyone.”

“This is a bill that we passed in the Senate last year,” Orr said. “This grew out of the protests that happened around Judge (Brett) Kavanaugh's home in 2022, and it seemed like a new era of going to people's homes and having large groups of people gather and blaring bullhorns. That's why I introduced the bill last year. I'm here again. When we look at our society, we have to think about what's on the books. ”

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“Imagine you're at home and 50, 75, even 100 people are angry at you,” Orr continued. “You don't know them. You don't know if they're going to shoot up a house or throw a Molotov cocktail. You have kids. You want to leave. If someone needs to go to the doctor. What do you do? They're all crowded around your driveway. How are you going to get in and out of the house?”

Travis Jackson of Black Lives Matter Grass Roots also spoke out against the bill.

“I oppose SB57 because I believe it is a destructive bill to the ability of Black, Indigenous, and people of color to exercise their First Amendment rights,” Jackson said. he said. “In general, many nonviolent protesters have been, and continue to be, criminally targeted by law enforcement throughout American history.”

“Many times, I have witnessed police officers violently dog-tied the hands and feet of nonviolent protesters who were exercising their rights,” Jackson claimed. “A prime example of this is the Hoover Police Department in the summer of 2020. And in July 2020, Hoover police officers armed with assault rifles attacked nonviolent protesters exercising their First Amendment rights. I saw the police.”

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“SB57 is as hypocritical as the police slogan 'Protect and Serve,'” Jackson concluded. “American history has taught us for decades that only white extremist groups like the Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy, the Three Percenters, and the Patriot Front were protected by the American justice system. It's been proven for centuries.”

Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) expressed concern that the bill would allow local governments to pass something even stricter than SB57.

“We don't want to restrict people's free speech,” said Sen. Linda Coleman Madison (D-Birmingham). “Someone might be picketing my house. But I understand how unpleasant that is for my neighbors. I want to be fair to them.”

The Committee voted to give SB57 a favorable report. The bill could be considered by the full Senate as early as Thursday. Thursday was the ninth day of the 2024 Alabama regular legislative session.

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