Constitutional Law

St. Louis suburb lifts ban on funeral protests

By By The Associated Press

ST. PETERS, Mo. — A St. Louis suburb has lifted its ban on protests near funerals.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the St. Peters Board of Aldermen voted last night to lift the ban.

The St. Louis suburb?s ordinance was similar to a state measure that was struck down by a federal judge earlier this year.

The board lifted the ban after receiving a letter from the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, which opposed the ban on behalf of members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan.

Tommy Roberts said he, like four other aldermen, was voting for the repeal only because of the money that the city would have to spend to defend the ordinance.

"I'm opposed to this, but we don't have the money to fight the ACLU on this,? Roberts was quoted by the newspaper as saying. ?I am going to have to vote in favor of this for the sake of the taxpayers."

Westboro church members protest at the funerals of U.S. soldiers, saying troop deaths are God?s punishment for the nation?s tolerance of homosexuality.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the case Snyder v. Phelps, which will determine whether the church can be sued over the protests.

First Amendment Center Online staff contributed to this report.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on October 14, 2010 (boomark / email).