The Senate voted to strengthen penalties against those who purposely try to bring harm to law enforcement officers and county officials online. House Bill 1643, by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, prohibits the publishing of identifying information of such individuals used to threaten, intimidate, harass or stalk them.

“In recent years, we’ve seen our law enforcement community come under attack by misguided anger and hatred. These brave men and women are willing to sacrifice their health, and even their lives, to uphold the law and keep our communities safe. Just as they protect us, we will protect them and their families, which involves keeping their personal information from being maliciously spread on the internet,” Bullard said. “This bill also protects county officials, who have become victims of this same type of dangerous online behavior.”