Lawmakers Proposing a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Law in Illinois

Lawmakers have come up with a proposal they believe will keep keep law enforcement officers safer while on the job.

For all the advancements in our world, it makes me sad that laws like this even need to be considered. Being a police officer takes the kind of commitment many of us are not willing to make. Every day when an officer leaves for work, he or she never knows if that will be the day they don't make it back home.

Across the nation, there's been an increase in threats made to officers and that has Illinois lawmakers considering protecting officers under our state's hate crime laws, according to mystateline.com. This bill has already become law in Louisiana.

Under the proposed bill if someone makes a premeditated attack on first responders based on their job they will be charged with a hate crime. The first offense is a class three felony, which could get you up to 5 years in prison.

Will the bill stop the threats? Probably not. But many officers say it will give them some peace of mind.