Written by Caleb Taylor, 1819 News
MONTGOMERY — Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation on Tuesday making child rapists eligible for the death penalty in the wake of horrific child sex abuse cases in Bibb County last year.
Legislation filed by State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) overwhelmingly passed the House in the 2025 session but died in the Senate without a vote.
The bill requires that a person 18 or older convicted of rape in the first degree or sodomy in the first degree, when the victim is under 12, be given a death sentence or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. If the offender is under 18, the sentence is life imprisonment.
State Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield) is co-sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
“This is for the situations that are absolutely the worst of the worst and we believe they should have the worst of the worst punishment,” Weaver said in committee on Tuesday.
State Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) said she opposed the bill because she opposed the death penalty.
“I appreciate you all protecting children, but I don’t believe in the death penalty period,” Figures said. “See I am pro-life for every human being no matter the circumstances. I happen to think the worst penalty is to let them sit there in that jail and rot and live with what they’ve done and not see freedom anymore. I think my reputation precedes itself in knowing how I feel about protecting children and the bills that I have introduced here these last 30 years protecting children, so I will vote no on it, but you all know why. I’ve expressed that.”
State Sen. Lance Bell (R-Pell City) said, “I want to apologize to Rep. Simpson. After the facts that came out about Bibb County and what happened to them kids, I hate we did not get this passed last year.”
“I want to apologize for that because those people, what happened to them kids, they should be the first ones involved that should be subject to this,” Bell said.
The bill now heads to the Senate for its consideration.
Reprinted with permission of 1819 News
