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Senate panel backs bill to escalate penalties for serial stalking
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Summary
Senators gave SB273 a favorable report after discussion and personal testimony about repeat stalking cases; members clarified the underlying misdemeanor definition (13A‑6‑90) and emphasized the need for clear statutory elements.
Senator Orr told the Senate Judiciary Committee that SB273 aims to strengthen penalties for repeat stalking by escalating sanctions where existing misdemeanor law leaves prosecutors with insufficient tools for serial offenders scattered across counties.
Committee members and speakers offered personal examples of stalking harms and pressed for a clear statutory definition. Senator Orr and others said the underlying elements for misdemeanor stalking remain unchanged: intentional and repeated conduct that harasses or follows and causes material harm to mental or emotional health, or a reasonable fear. The committee referenced Code section 13A‑6‑90 when discussing definitions.
Several members supported the bill, citing victims’ experiences; some asked for precise language to avoid criminalizing innocuous public co‑presence (for example, two people attending the same sporting event). After discussion and clarification that the bill changes punishment for second or subsequent convictions rather than the underlying elements of the crime, the committee gave SB273 a favorable report to the floor.
