(MarketWatch) After years of Capitol Hill talk about repealing laws that require mandatory minimum prison sentences, the fatal shooting of five policemen in Dallas has inspired consideration of creating new federal crimes that would force judges to impose stiff sanctions.
The Back the Blue Act, offered Wednesday by Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, would make killing a federal judge, federal law enforcement officer or a “federally funded public safety officer” punishable by a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Unsuccessful attempts to kill would carry a 10-year minimum.
But the legislation also would federalize and establish mandatory minimums for the much more common offense of assaulting an officer.
