Terrorism Bill

The House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation today that addresses prosecution of terrorists under state statute.

Senate Bill 57 would establish the crime of terrorism as one punishable by imprisonment for life without probation or parole. It would also allow someone injured by an act of terrorism to file a claim for damages against the terrorist.

“It may be the first time this committee has heard or ever will hear a terrorism bill,” Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, the sponsor of SB 57, told the committee.

The bill allows for a more proactive approach toward terrorism rather than a reactive one, said Wise, a former FBI analyst who teaches graduate-level terrorism studies at the University of Kentucky.

This legislation has been dubbed Andy’s Law after Andy Long, an American soldier who was fatally shot in 2009 outside of a military recruiting office in Arkansas by a self-proclaimed terrorist. 

Concerns with SB 57 were voiced by Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, who addressed whether federal or state agencies ultimately have jurisdiction over acts of terrorism.

By defining terrorism in state statute, SB 57 would allow families to seek recourse through the state when federal law may not view an act as terrorism, Sen. Wise said in response. 

With a 17-0 vote from the committee, the measure now goes to the House floor for further consideration.