Congressman Don Bacon introduced legislation Thursday that would increase criminal penalties for anyone convicted of killing or conspiring to kill public safety officers.
The so-called “Back the Blue Act” would also create mandatory minimums for assaulting a federally funded state or local law enforcement officer, which could include a firefighter, chaplain, federal judge or rescue squad member.
If a death occurs, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years. Attempting to flee to avoid prosecution carries a minimum of 10 years.
“I think if somebody assaults a police [officer] or murders a policeman, they should never be back out on the street,” Bacon said. “Take them off the street. I think it serves also as a deterrent when people see this actually being utilized.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden, a centrist Democrat from Maine.
Bacon introduced similar legislation under the same title in 2021 and 2023, but they lacked bipartisan co-sponsors and never went to a vote. He said he is hopeful for a different result this time around.
“I can see this bill passing in the House,” Bacon said. “In the Senate, you need 60 votes, so that forces it to be more bipartisan, and I hope there will be an adequate number of Democrats that will support this.”
Bacon met with around a dozen law enforcement leaders from across the Omaha metro area Thursday to hear their ideas for other legislation impacting their line of work.
Some expressed concerns over a proposed California law that would prohibit law enforcement from obscuring their faces while carrying out operations.
Bacon said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should have the right to cover their faces while making arrests so they aren’t doxed and threatened.
“ICE has every reason to want to wear a mask right now and protect their identity when they’re out in public now,” he said. “They have to identify themselves if they make arrests, but they’re just trying to protect themselves and their family.”
Bacon said he heard from Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson about the need for a mobile command post and a possible joint venture with Sarpy County and the City of Omaha on a training range.
The “Back the Blue Act” would provide up to $20 million in grants to law enforcement agencies aimed at strengthening the relationships between police and the communities they serve.
Bacon said the training range would be a candidate for the grants outlined in his bill.
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