The Judiciary Committee for Alabama Senat adopted several legislative proposals on Tuesday, including several aimed at reducing the violence in the state.

SB76Sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-District 14, was the first bill to pass. The legislation would enable breastfeeding mothers to be apologized from jury. The same provision is currently found in 22 other states, and the Committee adopted the legislation unanimously.

Then Senator Gerard Allen, R-District 21, was presented SB35that would expand the criminal definition of “sexual blackmail” to include cases where an individual “deliberately threatens to release or transfer any photography, digital image, video, film or other recording of any individual, whether it is recognition or not, engaged in any act of sexually explicit behavior to force or try to force the victim to do any action or refrain from doing any action against his or her will. “According to the bill, the crime would be punishable as a criminal in class B 20 years in prison.

The bill met some pushback from Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-District 20, who questioned whether the bill would effectively accuse someone of a crime they had not yet committed. Late Vivian figures, D-Mobile, also caused concern about the severity of punishment associated with the bill. Several senators also expressed concern that the legislation did not require a sufficiently high standard to ensure that such threats were actually made.

Despite these problems, the bill adopted the committee. Late. However, Allen agreed to work with the bill to address these problems as the legislation progresses.

The Committee then heard SB116 and SB31Two bills that look to create penalties for possession of Glock switches, units that convert semi-automatic guns into entire automatic firearms. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, a stated advocate for weapons reform in the state, spoke in support of the bills.

“In Birmingham and in other cities throughout the state, there are too many mourners who have lost their child because of the use of these machine hosts,” Woodfin said at the meeting. “Too many children have lost parents because of these machine -conversion devices … Birmingham would not have had their deadliest year in the post if these units had not been used.”

The Committee continued to approve both legislative proposals. The Committee was also adopted SB32Sponsored by Senator Roger Smithman, D-District 18, who would make life imprisonment for a penalty for murder, male or abuse when a machine weapon is used.

Late. Clyde Chambliss, R-District 30, then presented SB115. According to the current Alabama law, it is illegal to abandon a peace officer. SB115 would extend the definition of abandoning a peace officer to include individuals who get employment or accept a time to be a peace officer even though they know they “are not eligible to serve as peace officers under the laws of this state or know that his or that his or His or her certification with Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission has been revoked or canceled. “In addition, all persons who employ someone as peace officers who they feel may not be eligible for peace officers can also be accused according to the Charter.

The bill quickly adopted the committee.

The Committee Chairman Sen. Will Barfoot, R-District 25, also introduced SB118A proposed constitutional amendment that would extend the list of crimes that the bail can be denied. Specifically, the amendment would allow the bail to be denied for individuals accused of trying, conspiring or calling for murder or accused of releasing a firearm in an occupied building or vehicle.

Montgomery County’s Chief Public Defender Aylia McKee spoke against the amendment and caused concern that a person charged with murder in prison under his provisions could be held in prison for a number of years before their case goes to trial. Such cases may include individuals who release a firearm in self -defense. In addition, McKee claimed that such “absolute internships” would put a heavy financial burden on counties that would have to pay to keep individuals waiting for trial without the guarantee.

McKee also suggested that if the amendment was adopted, innocent individuals may feel pressure to invoke themselves to crimes that they did not committed to ensure a basic agreement that would liberate them from years of repository without bail.

Despite McKee’s concern, SB118 was then approved by the committee.

Finally the Committee passed Senator Barfoot’s SB119which includes many provisions related to violent weapons offenses and illegal possession of firearms. Among these provisions is an increase in the penalty for releasing a firearm to an occupied building from a class B to a criminal, a compensation for parol or testing to be revoked when a parolee or provision is found in possession of a firearm and an extension of the types of crimes that prohibit a person from having a firearm.