Public Safety Bill Includes Increased Child Pornography Penalties
The Public Safety and Judiciary Omnibus bill passed the House Tuesday, having been stripped of all controversial or anti-police policy. The compromise bill that passed included the Officer Arik Matson Bill, which increases penalties for first degree assault of a criminal justice official.
The bill also includes increased penalties for crimes related to child phonography from my bill (HF2100) during the 2021 regular session.
Since first being elected in 2016, I have worked to protect victims and hold predators accountable for crimes against the most vulnerable in our society — our innocent children. I am glad the public safety bill included an increase to the penalties for the dissemination of child pornography.
This increase is not enough but it is a start to toughen our weakest-in-nation child phonography laws. I will continue the fight for victims and to keep dangerous criminals away from the most vulnerable in our society.
The bill also included revisions to the criminal sexual conduct statute, which will bring justice to countless victims of sexual assault.
Help Coming for Northwest Angle
During the debate on the Omnibus Workforce & Business Development bill, I offered a friendly amendment that was accepted to bring $5 million in relief to the resorts and businesses in the Northwest Angle.
This portion of the state relies on tourism and has been completely gutted by both the state shutdown and the border with Canada remaining closed. Many resorts have had to be closed for over a year, seeing up to 85% loss of revenue.
This area of the state needs relief and I am glad my colleagues were willing to add this amendment to the bill and that it will become law.
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