The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 385 pertaining to murder sentencing; aggravating circumstance. Author Sen. Hershman introduced the bill explaining that this proposal is a response to the Purdue University shooting last year. The bill creates an aggravating factor to murder if the murder is committed on property owned or rented by an educational institution. An amendment, adopted by Committee consent, expanded the scope of this bill to include murders committed in a building used primarily for religious worship. The Tippecanoe County Prosecutor testified in support of the bill. The Indiana Catholic Conference testified in opposition to the bill, reiterating its opposition to the death penalty. The Indiana Public Defenders Council testified to concerns about the vagueness of the amendment language. The amended bill passed 7-2.
Read the bill at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/385.