4 arrested after disruption during Arizona Senate news conference

by Mary K. Reinhart and Ginger Rough - Feb. 22, 2011 03:36 PM
The Arizona Republic

Capitol police on Tuesday arrested four people, including a juvenile, on suspicion of disorderly conduct after they disrupted a news conference in a Senate hearing room.

They were cited and released, said Alan Ecker, a spokesman for the state Department of Administration, which oversees the police agency. Ecker said he did not have names and ages for those arrested, but he expected to have that information later today.

The outburst occurred at about 1:30 p.m. while Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, was touting a bill that toughens penalties for property owners or renters whose homes are used as drop houses.

"I still don't understand it," Sinema said. "They just started screaming. And once they did that, I just stopped talking."

Sinema said she told a legislative aide to get help. The police arrived soon after and arrested the demonstrators.

"There's nothing controversial about this bill," she said. "It's designed to protect victims from human trafficking."

It's the third year that Sinema has introduced the bill, which allows drop-house owners to be prosecuted under forgery laws and subject to a Class 3 felony. Senate Bill 1225 also would apply to someone who rents a home with the intent to use it as a drop house.

The Senate approved the measure on a 26-3 vote Tuesday. It now heads to the House.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z1EjY7JcaN

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