Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would make threatening a public official aggravated harassment, which is a felony.
Lawmakers say they’re concerned about political violence and cite reports showing threats are increasing and high-profile incidents in the last year.
During Monday’s hearing, Sen. James Manning, D-Eugene, said his concerns are closer to home. He’s personally experienced a bomb threat, and is worried about tensions in Springfield, where a school board member recently resigned, citing concern for her family’s safety.
"Nobody has the right to threaten the lives of someone because they made a vote, or [are in] opposition to each other," Manning said. "This bill is designed to look specifically at school board members, city councilors, county commissioners, legislators, their families."
The bill generated some concern that political speech could be prosecuted if the law passed, and some called for it to be more narrowly tailored.
The bill is scheduled for a potential vote next week in the Oregon Senate’s Judiciary Committee. It's part of a public safety omnibus bill that may include other public safety issues.
