In Kentucky, politicians are preparing to vote on a law that would authorize the use of force against unhoused people who are found to be camping on private property.

Republican politicians in Kentucky are rallying behind a new bill that would authorize the use of forceā€”and potentially deadly forceā€”against unhoused people who are found to be camping on private property. The bill would also criminalize unsanctioned homeless encampments and restrict cities and towns from preempting state laws.

The bill, known as the ā€œSafer Kentucky Act,ā€ or HB5, would target homelessness, drug possession and mental illness by drastically increasing criminal penalties for a range of offenses. Introduced last week by Republican state representative Jared Bauman, it already has 52 sponsors in Kentuckyā€™s House of Representatives. A vote is scheduled for this week.

Advocates are most alarmed by one aspect of the ā€œSafer Kentucky Actā€ in particular: an anti-homeless provision that would authorize violence by property owners on people camping on their property. The bill says the use of force is ā€œjustifiableā€ if a defendant believes that criminal trespass, robbery or ā€œunlawful campingā€ is occurring on their property.

  • Ibex@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I have a coworker from Kentucky and he says that some of the sanctuary cities that the illegals were being bussed to threatened to bus them to the surrounding red states is why theyā€™re passing laws like this. Itā€™s a scare tactic to the left and the good ole boys in Kentucky are itching to shoot someone legally so the Rā€™s get guaranteed reelection.

    • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Hmm, Opens up The GOP playbook

      Looks like the proper response is to arm the homeless, drug dealers, and mentally unstable.

      • xavier666@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        So if the homeless guy shoots back in response, itā€™s all fair game because it was in self-defence, right? Right?