By Associated Press
Springfield, IL – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed off on a change to the state's "Let Them Rest In Peace Act," which now will bar protests within 300 feet of a military funeral. The old law's distance was 200 feet. Quinn signed the bill yesterday. Groups known for their protests will have to stay farther away from military funerals under the measure. A member of Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church labeled the new law as unconstitutional and insisted the church would continue its heckling protests undaunted. Quinn says every family has a fundamental right to conduct a funeral with reverence and dignity. He says the new law ensures that the families can grieve without harassment.