A protest bill that has received much criticism has new life after lawmakers have advanced a revised version.
The bill would stiffen penalties for those participating in a riot, though the definition of riot has been left broad.
The House Judiciary voted to send the bill to the House floor on Tuesday. Republican Rep. Allen Treadaway, a retired Birmingham police chief, said the measures are needed to crack down on violent behavior.
Shay Farley with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund said the bill is designed to instill fear into would-be protestors and silence dissent.
