(Photo by Justin Emerson - Cronkite News)

Anti-Trump protestors blocked supporters' path to a campaign rally on Shea Boulevard into Fountain Hills in March.

Protesters who blocked a section of Shea Boulevard on the way to a Donald Trump rally in North Scottsdale last month have inspired lawmakers to up the penalty for those who keep people from attending political and government events.

It’s a misdemeanor to block traffic, with a potential $500 fine and 30 days in jail. But Republican state Senator John Kavanagh says that’s not enough. “I consider that kind of behavior to be extremely corrosive to democracy,” he said.

So, Kavanagh has backed an amendment that would increase the penalty to $2,500 and six months in jail. Kavanagh's district is Fountain Hills, where the Trump rally was being held in March.

But not everyone agrees with the proposal. Like Democratic Senator Steve Farley, who said, “If we are singling out people and giving them harsher penalties for a crime because they are making a political point, that's what the founders said we should not be doing.”

The amendment passed on a 14-9 vote yesterday.