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Republicans Push To Legalize ‘Property Owners’ Killing Homeless People in Kentucky

www.vice.com Republicans Push To Legalize ‘Property Owners’ Killing Homeless People in Kentucky

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.

Republicans Push To Legalize ‘Property Owners’ Killing Homeless People in Kentucky

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 force—and potentially deadly force—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 “Safer Kentucky Act,” 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 Kentucky’s House of Representatives. A vote is scheduled for this week.

Advocates are most alarmed by one aspect of the “Safer Kentucky Act” 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 “justifiable” if a defendant believes that criminal trespass, robbery or “unlawful camping” is occurring on their property.

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Antiwork: Unemployment for all, not just the rich! @lemmit.online Lemmit.Online bot @lemmit.online
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Kentucky's HB5 Bill Will Authorize the use of Deadly Force against the Homeless; this is how they aim to get workers to put up with unbearable working conditions.

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