Steffen said Friday he has been working on the legislation for several weeks. It was announced the day after a shooting ambush killed five officers and wounded seven others during a peaceful protest spurred by the deaths of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota at the hands of police.

"Every day our police officers place themselves in harm’s way in order to protect and serve our communities. Over the past several weeks I have been working on the 'Blue Lives Matter' initiative which works to protect those who protect us," Steffen said in a statement. "I strongly believe that anyone who targets these brave men and women, solely because of their profession, should face serious penalties. This legislation sends a clear message that the despicable attacks we’ve seen against officers throughout the country will not be tolerated in Wisconsin."