To counter the instances of shootings in which police officers were targeted, the state of Kentucky has passed a new law that makes it a hate crime to target law enforcement. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed the blue lives matter bill into law. Louisiana also passed a law that afforded hate crime protections to police officers. The bill received bipartisan support and goes into effect this summer (via Courier-Journal):
Bevin gave House Bill 14 – unofficially known as the commonwealth's "Blue Lives Matter" bill – the final approval it needed to become law this week, although the measure won't go into effect until this summer. The fledgling law will add provisions for police and other first responders to the state's current hate-crime law, which already includes race, religion, color, sexual orientation and national origin as protected classes.People who supported HB 14 pointed to the officers in Louisiana and Texas who were fatally ambushed last year as well as to law enforcement officials who have been killed in Kentucky over the years as examples of why this measure is necessary. But others have said this proposal is a direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which continues to speak out against how police officers use lethal force against black citizens.
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