(NC) Legislature adopts new rules on protests

By Craig Jarvis
Posted: Thursday, May. 15, 2014

RALEIGH New rules intended to clarify when protesters at the legislative building should be arrested were adopted by state lawmakers on Thursday.

The rewrite was prompted by legal concerns over the building rules cited by judges hearing the cases of some of the more than 900 people who were arrested in last year’s “Moral Mondays” demonstrations at the General Assembly.

The judges said some of the rules were unconstitutionally vague, and so legislative staff undertook the first major revision since 1987, which included updating the rules to reflect current practices.

But the process, rushed through on the second day of session in advance of next Monday’s anticipated first round of protests, drew criticism from Democratic legislators. GOP leaders this week appointed eight Republicans and two Democrats to the obscure Legislative Services Commission, which hadn’t met in 15 years ...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/05/15/4912967/legislature-adopts-new-rules-on.html