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.

  • calabast@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    Ā·
    11 months ago

    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.

    Great, so not only does it let them shoot homeless people, it lets them do it even if they ā€œbelieveā€ itā€™s happening. So you can just shoot someone on your property for no reason at all, and say ā€œwell, I though they were performing a robberyā€.

    • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      Ā·
      11 months ago

      ā€œThey were scoping the place out to put up a tent, I had to shoot them officer.ā€

      ā€œThey didnā€™t have anything with themā€

      ā€œBut I believed that was their purposeā€

      ā€œAlright, checks out, have a nice day sir.ā€

      • Somewhere in near future in Kentucky if this passes
      • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        Ā·
        11 months ago

        The article doesnā€™t adequately describe the bill. You need to insert the bit where you asked them to leave and they threatened you with force in response.

    • CodeName@infosec.pub
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      Ā·
      11 months ago

      Theyā€™re basically extending Castle Doctrine out to the sidewalk. Next theyā€™ll add you car to the list and you get to shoot anyone who cuts you off or makes eye contact with you while driving. After that youā€™ll get a personal exclusivity zone and can shoot anyone who comes within ten feet of you in public as long as they look ā€œhomelessā€ (ie are poor and/or black).

    • metaStatic@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      6
      Ā·
      11 months ago

      isnā€™t gay panic a legal defense in the states? there are so many legal ways to murder someone over there whatā€™s one more going to do?