Montgomery, Ala. (WDNews) – Governor Kay Ivey has officially signed the last two bills in the state’s “Safe Alabama” public safety package, strengthening legal protections for law enforcement and increasing oversight of juvenile offenders.
House Bill 202, backed by Sen. Lance Bell and Rep. Rex Reynolds—both former law enforcement officers—provides added legal protections for officers on duty.
“I couldn’t agree more with Senate-sponsor Lance Bell’s remarks from the Senate floor yesterday when he so rightly stated, ‘this is about protecting them while they’re protecting us,’” said Ivey. “And as far as Backing the Blue goes, Rep. Reynolds was spot on with his comments yesterday when he said this bill will, ‘restore some faith among our officers and show them that we have their backs in Alabama.’”
With her signature, Ivey declared, “I am proud Alabama is now the most pro-law enforcement state in the country.”
The governor also signed House Bill 199, known as the Juvenile Accountability and Monitoring Act. Sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton and Rep. Travis Hendrix, the bill increases the use of pretrial detention and electronic monitoring for juveniles deemed dangerous.
“I am pleased that our Safe Alabama public safety package passed with bipartisan support,” Ivey stated. “In Alabama, unfortunately, juveniles are part of the crime problem, and HB199 is an important step to addressing this very real issue.”
The passage of both bills marks the full enactment of Ivey’s multi-bill safety initiative aimed at protecting Alabama communities.
