PIERRE — A bill to put more more prison time behind trying to kill police officers or sheriff’s deputies in South Dakota has finally cleared a South Dakota Senate committee. Senate Bill 48 would double the possible penalty for someone convicted of Attempted First Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer to 50 years from 25. The bill had approval of the full committee but needed a prison-jail population estimate. Senator David Wheeler of Huron supported the bill…
The prison-jail population estimate attached to the bill says the impact of the bill on prison and jail populations cannot be determined because of the specific nature of the bill and a lack of comparisons to other states. With the bill receiving a unanimous vote, the bill will be placed on the consent calendar on the Senate floor.
