Posted on 03/15/2006 8:53:41 PM PST by charrisGOP
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama House and Senate are now in position to approve legislation that would expand the instances where a person can kill someone to protect a home, business or vehicle.
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 to approve a deadly force bill that passed the House last month. The bill now goes to the Senate.
A nearly identical bill passed the Senate earlier in the session and has cleared a House committee. Rep. Albert Hall, D-Gurley, tried to pass that bill in the House on Wednesday, but he had to delay action on it when he couldn't get enough votes to block a threatened filibuster.
Current state law allows a person to use deadly force if someone breaks into his home and the resident feels threatened, but also says deadly force should not be used if the resident feels he or she can "avoid using force with complete safety."
The legislation removes that language, but says a person must feel threatened at the time they use deadly force.
In the Senate committee Wednesday, the vote split along racial lines, with all favorable votes coming from white senators and all negative votes from black senators.
Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said he voted against the bill because he is concerned that people will be shot when someone thinks they are breaking in a house, but they are really not.
The legislation, pushed by the National Rifle Association, is needed to make people safer in their homes, businesses and vehicles, said Sen. Larry Means, D-Attalla, who is sponsoring the bill pending in the House.
No hope in CA., the home of the untraceable throw down.
This is the same bill that already passed, and is law in Florida.
Clearing, the Democrats in Alabama are worried about losing control of the legislature in the fall.
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