Republican lawmakers in the Kentucky House of Representatives announced a three-strikes measure Tuesday that would keep people convicted of third-degree violent felonies locked up.
The proposal is part of a broader anti-crime bill that has been identified as a Republican priority for the 60-day session. The measure emerged in the second week of the session after lawmakers spent months meeting with stakeholders and tweaking a number of provisions.
“This bill is about removing people from our streets who continue to commit crimes,” said Republican Rep. Jason Nemeth, one of the bill's leading sponsors.
Republicans and Democrats finalize candidate lineup for 2024 Kentucky election
The bill's lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Jared Bauman, told reporters that the proposal would give anyone who commits three violent felonies in Kentucky a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He said it would be.
Exterior of the Kentucky State Capitol on April 7, 2021 in Frankfort, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
Crime was a central issue in last year's gubernatorial election, which Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won. Both candidates proposed public safety plans.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky criticized the three-strikes measure, with Kungu Njuguna, a policy analyst for the group, saying, “Criminal penalties do not guarantee our safety.”
Njuguna pointed to Kentucky's already high incarceration rates and said a better strategy to improve public safety would be to invest more in mental health and substance use treatment, affordable housing, transportation and education. He said it was true.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We need to understand the root causes that bring people into the criminal legal system and prevent them from participating in that system,” Njuguna told reporters.
