Iowa governor signs bill increasing punishment for protest-related crimes

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) on Thursday signed a bill into law that will increase the punishment for protest-related crimes and strengthen legal protections for law enforcement.

The new law, known as the “Back the Blue” bill, will make rioting a felony in Iowa as opposed to a misdemeanor. It will also increase legal penalties for blocking streets or highways, a local CBS affiliate reported.

“We encourage First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, but if you break the law, you’re going to be held accountable,” Reynolds said during the bill signing.

She added that Iowans who choose to riot or loot “will be punished to the full extent of the law.”

“The public peace is too important, and the safety of our officers too precious, to tolerate destructive behavior,” Reynolds said, according to KCCI.

Critics of the new law, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, have said it will serve as a deterrent for people who want to protest legally.

“This law is clearly an effort to shut down well-founded public criticism of abuses by law enforcement and government, especially from Black Lives Matter activists,” the ACLU wrote in a tweet on Thursday.

This law is clearly an effort to shut down well-founded public criticism of abuses by law enforcement and government, especially from Black Lives Matter activists.

Because this law aims to stifle lawful protesters, it is nothing less than an attack on free speech in our state.

— ACLU of Iowa (@ACLUiowa) June 17, 2021

Reynolds pushed back on the criticism.

“Like so many Iowans, I was raised to be grateful to the heroes who patrol our streets at great personal risk and sacrifice and tragically, this fundamental and wholesome part of America’s culture is now under vicious attack,” she reportedly said.

Last year, Reynolds signed a bill into law that banned chokeholds and sought to address officer misconduct.

“There’s no contradiction between steadfast support for honorable and selfless police officers — the vast majority — and a commitment to improving policing,” Reynolds said, according to the Des Moines Register. “There’s no contradiction between world-class investigation and treating victims of crime the way we ourselves would want to be treated. And there’s no contradiction between vigorous policing and the community outreach that builds trust between law enforcement and everyday Iowans.”