Florida "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" law comes to Kansas

[Big Unit]

H.B. 2577 is up for hearings in the Kansas House Federal & State Affairs Comm. this Thursday, Feb. 9, at 1:30 pm. The bill is styled after the Florida law that has prompted some citizens at Florida airports to hand out warning notices to disembarking flyers that they should be aware that Florida citizens are legally allowed to use lethal force if they reasonably perceive themselves to be threatened. For more info about the Florida law, go to www.shootfirstlaw.org - this law has only been enacted in one state, but is on the NRA promotion list. It has been introduced in at least 18 legislatures this year.

This bill would vastly broaden the law of self-defense. Kansas stautues 21-3211 through 3214 have been in our Criminal Code since about 1970. It is dangerous to make wholesale changes to these laws without careful study, because we do not want to make it easier for criminals to attempt to hide behind a self-defense allegation to excuse the killing of another person, and especially a police officer. But if the breadth of the defense is expanded, that is exactly what is at risk.

Please contact your State Representatives and ask them to oppose this reckless bill. The chairman of the committee is Rep. John Edmonds, and his email address is [e-mail]. He is from the Great Bend area. The representative who introduced this bill is Richard Carlson from St. Marys, and his email address is [e-mail].

[atommom]

1. Thanks for the heads-up!