COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new Ohio bill would increase penalties for politically motivated crimes, including giving prosecutors the ability to seek the death penalty in homicide cases.
The political assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman hit home for Ohio state Rep. Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin).
"I did put some cameras up around my house because, like I said, it was a little scary," Daniels said.
It impacted the entire Statehouse, too. After that attack in June, an increased number of state troopers were guarding the Capitol building, and law enforcement surveilled politicians’ homes.
Now, with the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month, Daniels and Gov. Mike DeWine say more needs to be done to protect free speech.
"We have to kind of tone the rhetoric down a little bit," DeWine said. "I think we have to respect our fellow Ohioans, our fellow Americans."
RELATED: Charlie Kirk's death offers rare moment of unity between College Republicans and Democrats in Ohio
Daniels and state Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) introduced a bill enhancing penalties for politically-motivated violence, with a homicide conviction resulting in mandatory life without parole and allowing for prosecutors to seek the death penalty in these cases.
"This bill is about protecting political speech," Daniels said. "It's about making people feel comfortable and increasing the penalty for that, hopefully, will deter political violence."
But progressive activist Rachel Coyle with Ohioans Against Extremism said she worries that this legislation could be applied unequally.
"What is to stop the state from, for example, only giving the death penalty to left-wing cases or only to right wing cases," Coyle said. "It's very easy to abuse."
She added that the death penalty is increasingly unpopular with both Democrats and Republicans. DeWine, a critic of capital punishment, has not allowed any executions as he has been governor.
Coyle also raised concerns that this law requires any violent felony prosecutors deem politically motivated to have a mandatory prison sentence of 10 years
"You could add it to a crime that has nothing to do with political violence just to keep people in prison more if you don't like them for personal reasons," she said.
Daniels said that he doesn’t think that will happen.
"This is a bipartisan look at this subject... political violence is a danger to our society and it's a danger to our democracy," he said.
No Democrats have signed on, but he said he thinks they will.
"Our goal is just to give the judicial system all the flexibility it can to give the maximum penalty," Daniels said.
While lawmakers grapple with political violence, several other ideas have been introduced.
A bill just introduced would allow some elected officials to carry guns in government buildings.
H.B. 460 would allow lawmakers, statewide officials and judges to have firearms in any government facility. The politician must have a concealed handgun license.
A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced House Bill 306, which would make hate crimes illegal, increasing penalties for assaulting or terrorizing someone based on their race, sex and political affiliation.
RELATED: Ohio lawmakers move to classify threats on politicians as hate crimes
These bills will be heard in the coming months.
Democrats continue to propose gun safety legislation, but those typically don't get multiple hearings.
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