Now for some First Amendment discussion

[The Sound Guy]

So... what do yo think about the bill in the Kentucky Senate to make insulting a police officer a crime that the GOP senators have passed to the state house?

LEXINGTON, Ky. —After one of the most emotional and confrontational debates in Kentucky's General Assembly this year, the state Senate Thursday night approved a bill that would make insulting a police officer a crime.

The bill, which the Senate approved on a 22-11 vote after about an hour's debate, would enhance punishment for crimes related to rioting, including making it a crime to insult or taunt a police officer if the comment provokes a violent response.

Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said he is concerned that the legislature is making taunting a crime, a Class B misdemeanor, subject up to 90 days in jail and a $250 fine.

"We are criminalizing speech," he said, emphasizing that opponents of the bill do not condone violence against police officers.

For once, I'm leaning towards the Democrat view of this one. This appears to be an unconstitutional limit on free speech.

Now it looks like this might be trying to make it under the "Shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater defense. But it's not clear in the quote above " including making it a crime to insult or taunt a police officer if the comment provokes a violent response." It's not clear if the violent response is on the part of the police officer or the crowd being whipped up by insults shouted by a ring leader. Who decides what was a violent response?

In any case, I can see this as a dangerous precedence. What next, illegal to insult a politician ? Who decides what is an insult? Are they going to start a list of names/phrases you can't use around police? (or a politician ?) Then they will want to make it illegal to use insult phrases about anyone in public. Then in private.

Slippery slope.