Do you approve of this proposed law?

The Kentucky Repubs want to pass a law that will authorize people to legally kill homeless people who set foot on their property.

Republicans Push To Legalize ‘Property Owners’ Killing Homeless People in Kentucky
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 force—and potentially deadly force—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 “Safer Kentucky Act,” 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 Kentucky’s House of Representatives. A vote is scheduled for this week."

"Advocates are most alarmed by one aspect of the “Safer Kentucky Act” 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 “justifiable” if a defendant believes that criminal trespass, robbery or “unlawful camping” is occurring on their property.

In addition, it says that “deadly physical force” is justifiable if a defendant believes that someone is trying to “dispossess” them of their property or is attempting a robbery or committing arson, language that could also have ramifications for tenants overstaying their lease."
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jg54mg/republicans-push-to-legalize-property-owners-killing-homeless-people-in-kentucky

Should this become a law in every State or should the Repubs be voted out of office forever?

Notice that all a person has to do is "believe" that someone is doing a prohibited act and then he can kill the person without any reprecussions. Of course the Slave Patrol approves of that and even says that it doesn't go far enough.

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joe438 · 61-69, M

It sounded insane, so I assumed the summary was taken out of context. I found the original text of the bill.

It describes illegal or street camping and says that a homeowner can use force to defend themselves against aggressive campers. It DOES NOT say that you can go into your backyard, find a homeless person sleeping under a tree and shoot them. You can ask them to leave and if they become aggressive and threaten you, you can use reasonable force to protect yourself.

I don't know what the legal situation was before that this law is attempting to clarify, but perhaps the problem was that if someone camped out on your property you couldn't make them leave. I'd hope that the law isn't encouraging people to confront randoms on their property at the point of a gun.

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"(c) The commission of unlawful camping in violation of Section 17 of this Act,4
when the offense is occurring on property owned or leased by the defendant,5
the individual engaged in unlawful camping has been told to cease, and the6
individual committing the offense has used force or threatened to use force7
against the defendant.8
(2) The use of deadly physical force by a defendant upon another person is justifiable9
under subsection (1) of this section only when the defendant believes that the10
person against whom such force is used is:11
(a) Attempting to dispossess him or her of his or her dwelling otherwise than12
under a claim of right to its possession; or13
(b) Committing or attempting to commit a burglary, robbery, or other felony14
involving the use of force, or under those circumstances permitted pursuant to15
KRS 503.055, of such dwelling; or16
(c) Committing or attempting to commit arson of a dwelling or other building in17
his or her possession.18"

JSul3 · 70-79

@joe438 If you shoot and kill a homeless person on your property, how will you ever know if the person used aggressive/threatening behavior?
The person is dead....and the only person providing details is the shooter.

This is like the instances where a person goes to the wrong house....knocks on the door....and is shot and killed by the homeowner, who says they were afraid for their lives.

Just like rogue cops who shoot unarmed people, many times killing them....and all they have to say is 'I was fearful for my life'....case closed.

joe438 · 61-69, M

@JSul3 That's true. I'm wondering what the situation was before anyone thought this law was necessary. I know property owners here in MA who spent years in court getting squatters out of houses. The social environment here in the Boston area is that people tend to call the police rather than deal with aggressive people themselves, but allowing people to defend themselves against aggressive people doesn't seem unreasonable on the surface. I would agree there will be abuse - you could shoot a sleeping person and then say later that they pulled a knife.

JSul3 · 70-79

@joe438 Am in TX. Many years ago, a neighbors house was broken into. Nobody home....nobody hurt.

I spoke to one of the officers, and he told me this: "If you shoot somebody standing on your porch, you better drag them inside the doorway of your house before you call us."

I guess the laws have changed since then. Now it is shoot first, ask questions later.