** Utah politicians propose bill making murder of paramedics death penalty cases
UNITED STATES NEWS
** Criminals convicted of killing paramedics and other emergency workers could soon face the death penalty under proposed legislation in Utah. That is the word from The Deseret News (Dennis Romboy/January 29) which said the potential bill, which also covers killing security guards, would see offenders tagged with aggravated murder charges. According to the newspaper, West Valley City Democratic Senator Karen Mayne said the proposed statue was important since those seeking to do harm will strike any uniform that arrives on-scene first. Utah Chiefs of Police Association president Tom Ross, concurred, saying the legislation would demonstrate that the government is actively seeking to protect emergency responders. The bill has also oddly garnered support from those who oppose the death penalty. Several pundits have said passing it would likely see the courts repeal the state’s death penalty law completely.
