Overview

• The House advanced SB 13 on Sept. 23 after introducing it the same day, moving the bill quickly to final floor passage.
• Legislation defines offenses as politically motivated when victims are targeted for their beliefs, affiliations, candidacy, voting history, advocacy, participation in lawful demonstrations, or public political expression.
• The bill elevates politically motivated felonies by one class, bars parole or other early release and sentence reductions, and adds a “Charlie Kirk” aggravating factor that makes such murders a consideration in death-penalty proceedings, with certain Class A felonies becoming capital-eligible.
• Prosecutors must allege political motivation in indictments and may prove it through direct or circumstantial evidence, including statements, manifestos, affiliations, or patterns of targeting, with political motive included in any notice to seek capital punishment.
• District attorneys must notify the state attorney general, who can appoint a special prosecutor on request, victims and next of kin may offer impact statements at any stage, and some Democrats questioned whether prior task-force recommendations were incorporated.