News from the Senate Majority

Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

For Immediate Release: April 14, 1997 Contact: Senator Dave Donley, 907/465-3892

Senate Cracks Down On Reckless Firearm Behavior

Juneau -- The Alaska Senate Monday agreed unanimously to increase the penalty for unlawfully discharging firearms at Alaska buildings and homes, voting to classify the crime as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

"Innocent lives are often at stake when reckless individuals open fire on buildings and homes," said Senator Dave Donley (R-Anchorage), who sponsored Senate Bill 70. "I think most Alaskans would be amazed that under current Alaska law, this action is only a misdemeanor."

Last year an Anchorage family woke in the middle of the night to a barrage of gunfire. The next day, the Anchorage Police Department found five bullets lodged in various locations of the family's home. Juneau has witnessed seven separate accounts of shootings at dwellings in the last year alone.

"Communities around the state have seen a dramatic increase in this type of reckless and dangerous behavior -- it has got to stop if we hope to make Alaska’s neighborhoods safe for our families. There is just no justification for shooting at somebody’s house or into a store. " Donley said.

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