In the wake of threats that were sent to local and state politicians, the Assembly has introduced legislation that is supposedly a reaction to the shooting of U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords.
The legislation, advanced by Assemblymen Jim Tedisco, Steve McLaughlin and Andrew Raia, known as the "Bystander Protection Act" would increase the penalties for anyone who harms members of the public while trying to injure a public. The decision to implement this law was sparked by the threats on Friday, which mentioned "Gabby Giffords."
Tedisco said in a press release that violence against elected officials will never be tolerated, especially since it can lead to the injuries or death of innocent bystanders, like in the case of Giffords. He then waxed poetically about the duty of serving and stressed that the really important people are in fact "the people."
While an admirable goal, it is unclear why this proposed legislation would deter people more than existing penalties, as Republicans love to argue that people who want to commit a crime will do it (but apparently only when it comes to gun control legislation). Seems like this would just give assassins extra incentive to aim carefully.
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