Senate passes "Blue Lives Matter" bill

After a nearly two-hour floor debate, the Mississippi Senate passed a "Blue Lives Matter" bill Thursday by 37-13, adding targeting of law enforcement and other first responders to the state hate crimes law.

Several amendments were proposed by African-American senators, including one by Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, to add language that enforcement officers be held to the same standards if they targeted someone because of their race.

"Young black males can be targeted for just being black," Blackmon said.

The debate became one of perception with African-American senators seeing the legislation as not holding law enforcement to the same standard while the majority white senators see it as backing the badge, the people who risk their lives daily to protect.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport, said the state's hate crimes law already provides enhanced penalty for anyone, including law enforcement, who targets someone because of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Blackmon's motion failed 15-34.

African-American senators argued it's not that they are against law enforcement, but rather that the bill isn't needed. Those supporters of the bill called it backing the badge.

Blue Lives Matter started after Black Lives Matter protests over deaths of African Americans at the hands of police.

Also Thursday, a state House Committee passed its own version of a "Blue Lives Matter" bill, and while that bill doesn't make it a hate crime, it does enhance the penalty for targeting law enforcement.

Senate Bill 2469 adds language that if a crime is committed because the victim's actual or perceived job is law enforcement, firefighter or emergency medical technician, it would be considered a hate crime just as it would if a person was targeted due to race, gender or religion.

"I want to send a message if we prove they were targeted," Tindell said.

Tindell said a person who kills a law enforcement officer is already subject to the death penalty under state law. However, under the proposed legislation, a person convicted of aggravated assault or other crimes on a law enforcement officer would also face enhanced penalties, in many cases double the standard sentence with no early parole.

Last year, Louisiana passed a law that has been referred to as "Blue Lives Matter" legislation. That law adds law enforcement officers to the protected class under that state's hate crime statute. Other states have been considering such bills.

Tindell said the Baton Rouge shooting in July, which left three police officers dead, was only two hours away from his home. He said that was the catalyst for the Senate legislation.

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Mississippi ACLU Executive Director Jennifer Riley-Collins said the bill is unnecessary and there is no evidence it will make police safer.

Statistics show that violence against police is down, she said. There are already severe, enhanced penalties for assaults on police officers in Mississippi.

"This bill, and others like it, prioritize police over people," Riley-Collins said.

The Senate bill goes to the House. If it passes in the Legislature and is signed by the governor, who has said he supports such legislation, it will become law July 1. The House bill goes to the full House.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-961-7212 or jgates@gannett.com . Follow him on Facebook and Twitter