The North Carolina Senate approved a bill this week that would raise the stakes for those who engage in a riot that results in damage or injury. A person could face criminal charges and jail time if the rioter causes damage to property, or assaults a citizen or emergency personnel, during a protest or a state of emergency. The bill has been returned to the House where, if concurred, it will then go to the office of Gov. Roy Cooper to be signed, or vetoed. Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, one of the sponsors of the bill, said in a press release that he had witnessed “the violence and destruction caused by rioters right here in downtown Raleigh” in 2020. “What this bill does is enforce harsher penalties for the perpetrators of violence and looting, while preserving every North Carolinian’s right to protest peacefully,” Moore said. “Our rights to free …