© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Council To Vote On Funeral Picketing Ordinance

Updated Thursday, November 1. The Kansas City city council has unanimously passed an ordinance to restrict the Westboro Baptist Church's picketing of military funerals.

The council's ordinance is identical to one an appeals court upheld two weeks ago.

City Attorney Bill Geary said the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for the restrictions on funeral picketing with a statement it tacked on to a decision against a family that wanted to sue the church.

Geary explained: “And then the Supreme Court just said, either as an offhand remark or as an intentional hint (Who can guess?) that of course cities would have the right to regulate, properly, this activity.”

The ordinance will prohibit demonstrations within 300 feet of a funeral during or within an hour of the service. It can't prohibit demonstrations on public property along a funeral procession route.

All council members and the mayor have signed on as sponsors.

KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.