State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, says she will file a bill in the upcoming legislative session to expand the state’s death penalty law to include politically motivated attacks.
Current state law already says its a capital offense to murder “a state or federal public official or former public official and the murder stems from or is caused by or is related to his official position, act, or capacity.”
Givan’s proposal, not yet filed, will include local public officials and add an aggravated circumstance to the law, according to a press release.
“Public officials being murdered because of their political beliefs is an attack on all Americans whether they support Republicans, Democrats, or any other party,” Givan said in the written statement. “What’s happening in this country is abhorrent. To deal with this type of extremism, an extreme penalty must and should be imposed.”
She said there is a need for stronger penalties for politically motivated attacks, citing the Sept. 10 shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the June killing of Minnesota legislative leader Melissa Hortman in her home and the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump, who was then running for reelection.
“There seems to be a belief that politicians can be harassed, threatened, attacked, and murdered without any consequences, and that has to change,” Givan said.
The 2026 legislative session starts Jan. 13.
Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, recently filed a bill that would make it a Class C felony to injure a public official. Senate Bill 20 expands the definition of assault in the second degree to include “injury to a current or former local, state, or federal public official during or as a result of the performance of the current or former official’s duty…”
Without the proposed specification, such an assault is now a misdemeanor.
The legislation coincides with the assassination of Kirk, but Elliott said he began working on the bill earlier this month after the alleged assault of a Bay Minette City Councilman at his workplace.