Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth announced in a tweet this week that he is working on legislation to expedite the death penalty for individuals convicted of killing a law enforcement officer.

“‘Back the Blue’ must be more than just a slogan. Actions must follow words,” Ainsworth declared in the tweet.

He added, “Murdering an officer who maintains law and order should quickly cost your own life.”

Deputy Chief of Staff to the Lt. Gov. Jess Skaggs told Yellowhammer, “Lt. Gov. Ainsworth is currently working with the Legislative Services Agency to draft the legislation, and we will announce additional details once a bill is ready for introduction.”

Ainsworth’s initiative comes on the heels of Rep. Chris Sells’ (R-Greenville) bill that passed in the 2019 legislative session making it a capital offense to kill any on-duty first responder, not just policemen and corrections officers.

Killing an on-duty police officer has long been a capital offense in Alabama.

Additionally, State Senator Chris Elliott (R-Daphne) has indicated he will renew his push to add law enforcement officers to groups protected by hate crime statutes.

Alabama has had seven police officers killed in the line of duty in 2019.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.