Thursday, January 26, 2017

Senate passes Blue Lives Matter bill

Leftenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement.


SENATE SAYS BLUE, RED, MED LIVES MATTER

Legislation brings tougher penalties for harming officers, emergency workers

JACKSON – Criminal offenders who harm a police officer, firefighter or emergency medical worker would face stiff punishments under legislation passed by the Senate today.

Senate Bill 2469, by Sen. Philip Moran, R-Kiln, and Sen. Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport, passed in a 37-13 vote. The bill, called the “Blue, Red and Med Lives Matter Act,” heads to the House for consideration.

“Mississippians have great respect for our men and women who risk their lives on the job every day,” Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said. “Officers, firefighters and medical workers often face unknown dangers on the job. Anyone who commits a crime against these brave individuals should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”


The bill allows prosecutors to seek more prison time or other punishments for any individual who harms a police officer, firefighter or emergency medical worker due to their employment as a first responder. If passed by the House, the bill would take effect July 1.

Click here to read bill. 

Kingfish note: So thug beats Granny to a pulp with a bat and gets the usual justice but the penalty is "enhanced" if he does the same thing to a cop because he is a cop.  Does Granny's life matter? 

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its not about the punishment... its about making a statement opposing BLACK Lives Matter

Anonymous said...

Political version of Newton's Third. Thank Obama.

Anonymous said...

Conservatives are fond of saying ALL lives matter. Why are we pushing this? We are supposed to be against hate crimes of any form. A crime is a crime, and all lives should be treated with the same respect. This is nothing more than political pandering. End of story.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised we do not already have such a law. Really thought that assaulting a law officer was more stringent punishment than normal assault. Maybe I have it mixed up. Help!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the thinking is that an assault on law enforcement is an assault on a whole group charged to keep public safe. Perhaps. The whole fault with the hate crime thought process is it punishes thought rather than amount of bleeding or death caused. I'm one of those who 'has a black friend.' We're near identical in demographics except color. If someone beats her to death and calls her the N-word they'll get one penalty. If someone beats me to death as they call me a fat bitch they'll get another penalty. Figger it out. I can't. But, enhanced penalties for attacking law officers, considering we already measure 'hate crimes,' I'll agree I guess.

Anonymous said...

I support this 100%! As a 15 years of being an EMT, let me tell you now; the public rarely hears about what kind of crap goes on at emergency scenes anymore. I've had several co-workers assaulted while just trying to do their jobs. In some places, there simply isn't any respect for first responders while they are working. This includes throwing punches, spitting (saliva & blood), etc... It happens much more frequently than one may think.

Anonymous said...

2013 Mississippi Code
Title 99 - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
Chapter 19 - JUDGMENT, SENTENCE, AND EXECUTION
ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST ELDERLY PERSONS

§ 99-19-351 - Penalties subject to enhancement
§ 99-19-353 - Notice of enhancement
§ 99-19-355 - Sentencing proceedings; required findings for enhanced penalty
§ 99-19-357 - Amount penalty may be enhanced


So, no one bitched about this, but you'll bitch about cops, firefighters and EMS workers after Dallas and Baton Rouge???? You didn't bitch about enhanced penalties for violent crimes against judges and prosecutors. But the street cop? I get it. You're a Social Justice Warrior.

Anonymous said...

Calling any crime a hate crime is something politicians thought up to get a few votes. A crime is a crime no matter who is the criminal or who is the victim. We have turned into a nation of cry babies. Everyone wants laws that are specially for them. If they don't get it they will cry until some politician thinks he might get a few more votes by going along with them.

If we were not so soft on crime we would not need these special names for special crimes on special people. Grow up. Grow a pair.

Anonymous said...

If a person is an electrician they should know they may get shocked a few times. If a person is a welder they should know they may get burned a few times. If they are a truck driver they may have a wreck.

Every job comes with risks. If the risks of your job are too much for you it might be wise to find another job.

Anonymous said...

What about when an overzealous rogue cop shoots and kills a family's prt dog in their own back yard or garage? To me the pet should get the same degree of protection.

Anonymous said...

present laws:

simple assault on a LEO - felony max 5 years

simple assault - misdemeanor 6 months max

aggravated assault on a LEO - felony max 30 years

aggravated assault - felony max 20 years

"hate crime" really doesn't make a lot of sense. just amend the assault statutes and increase the penalties...

Anonymous said...

It would be nice if the legislators decided to study the real issues facing citizens and Mississippi and take steps to write bills that actually address those issues. But I guess that would take thought. I assume it's easier to get ideas from Fox News. It wont move our state forward, but it will cater to the citizens who dont know how to think for themselves. And the studies showing Mississippi is 49th or 50th in every single category, wont matter to us. Just the fact that we are good conservative state with Republic leadership will make us proud.

Anonymous said...

Pandering. The penalties for harming an officer are already enhanced. Instead of enhancing the enhancements, they attached it to the hate crimes section because that gets people aroused.

Anonymous said...

@ 2:35 Remember you said that next time you need help.

Anonymous said...

2:35. An electrician gets "shocked", it's an accident. Trucker has a wreck, it's an accident. Cop gets killed it's an intentional murder. I'm sure hope you understand the difference.

PittPanther said...

What a crock. A cops life isn't more valuable than mine, my kids, or anyone elses.

Anonymous said...

I hate to say it but in this case I agree with Pitt. A life is a life. Their job of the person who gets killed shouldn't matter. Personally I think my life is very valuable. Others may not agree.

Anonymous said...

"Does Granny's life matter?"
Of course it does. Obviously just less...

Anonymous said...

Why not a bill to protect the lives of all workers who come in contact with the public - teachers, service people, retail and restaurant employees, etc. This is nothing but pandering.

Anonymous said...

4:51 --

You think someone will fake an emergency to get you to come running, then blow your brains out?

After Dallas and Baton Rouge, pound sand, you cop-hating freak.

Agg assault on a cop out to carry a 50 year minimum sentence. It's an assault on society.

Anonymous said...

How about enforcing the laws we already have before we start making new ones?

Anonymous said...

All laws are passed 'to make a statement'. Name one that wasn't.

Anonymous said...

Writing themselves into a bunch of lawsuits.

Anonymous said...

Also I would like to see how many good ol' boys get felony charges after a night at Shuckers and cursing out the police.

Anonymous said...

government has a legitimate interest in seeking to deter persons from intentionally harming LEOs, firefighters and other officers mentioned in our statute. its the same interest in having them trained to be armed and the authority to use the firearms when necessary to protect the public.

so I have no problem with it being an enhanced punishment, but as a prosecutor, I wouldn't want to have to prove the intent element of a hate crime. in fact, if this passes, I doubt DAs use it very much. they don't use the other hate crime categories very often either.

PittPanther said...

6:19, I don't hate cops, I hate people with poor reasoning skills. Do you think people who kill cops will give a second thought about the length of the sentence? Cop killers usually end up dead, making the sentence irrelevant.

If you want to honor cops and believe their lives are more important than most, how about you advocate for a tax increase to go directly to cop salaries? Honor them with something tangible. And by paying more, you'll get the side benefit of having more people WANTING to be cops. You'll end up with a smarter, better police force. Give up your cable tv, or your college football tickets, to pay for something valuable.

Yeah, I didn't think so... Continue focusing on wasted laws that do nothing.

someoneinnorthms said...

If I had a dollar for every client of mine who head-butted a cop's knuckles, scraping the ever-living hell out of those knuckles, I'd never have to practice law again.

Cop smells marijuana in your car to get the free search. Then he punches you when you won't consent to an arrest and breaks open a cut on his knuckle. That's a five-year max for the newly-minted felon. Of course, when your lawyer asks for the dash cam recording, that dang dash cam just wasn't working that day. . . .

All lives matter. EXACTLY the same.


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