VIDEO: Back The Badge Bill Lands On Governor Phil Bryant’s Desk

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A bill backing First Responders is on Governor Phil Bryant’s desk.

It’s called Back the Badge, and it increases penalties against anyone who intentionally commits a violent attack against Emergency Personnel, including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMT’s.

Under the bill, those violators would also lose the possibility of early release.

Webster County Chief Deputy Jeff Mann says he thinks the bill is a good preventative measure and adds to the existing assault on officers law.

“With everything going on in the country within the last year or so, morale has been down across the board. We haven’t seen as much of it here because we do live in a really good state, as far as that’s concerned, but the morale as a whole has gone down, so this is going to definitely help morale.”

The Bill passed the House on a 94 to 18 vote.