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A spirit that is not afraid

Aniah's Law passes House, moves to Senate

Montgomery, AL
Montgomery, AL

A bill named in honor of Aniah Blanchard, the 19-year old Southern Union student who was kidnapped and murdered in 2019, passed the Alabama House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 23. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate.

The bill, called “Aniah’s Law,” will allow judges to hold those accused of certain violent crimes in pre-trial detention without release on bail. Among the 13 crimes which the bill lists are murder, kidnapping, rape and burglary.

Currently, the Alabama Constitution only allows bail to be denied to defendants if they are charged with a capital offense, and the “proof of guilt is evident or the presumption of guilt is great.”

The House unanimously passed the legislation, consisting of two bills, House Bill 130 and House Bill 131. HB 131 contains the actual amendment to the Alabama Constitution that is required to enact the law, while HB 130 enumerates the offenses for which bail may be denied under the legislation.

Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, is one of 27 sponsors of HB 131. Rep. Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika, signed on as one of over 80 cosponsors of the legislation. 

If Aniah’s Law passes the Senate, it will need to be approved by the people of Alabama in a general election.

Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, said that he plans to vote in favor of Aniah’s Law when it is put to a vote in the Alabama Senate, like he did last year when Aniah’s Law passed the Senate but failed to pass the House of Representatives before the legislative session ended.

“It’s a good bill; looking forward to supporting it and protecting the people of Lee County and the state of Alabama,” Whatley said.


Evan Mealins | Editor-in-chief


Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.

@EvanMealins

ecm0060@auburn.edu


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