Bill calls for more severe fine

By Matt Poston
City Editor

A state bill that will go in front of legislators later this week could stiffen penalties for those who falsely report a bomb threat.

Senate Bill 45 passed the Senate Corrections, Criminal and Civil Procedures Committee last week by a vote of 9-1 and will go before the Indiana State Senate floor later this week.

The bill, which is being sponsored by local lawmaker Sen. Ron Alting, R-22nd, would make falsely reporting a bomb threat a Class C felony, punishable by two to eight years in prison and fines. Currently, falsely reporting a bomb threat is considered a Class D felony, which carries a penalty of six months to three years in prison plus fines.

Part of the push for the stiffening of penalties is that many prosecutors would plea bargain false reporting charges down to a misdemeanor, said Alting. This legislation would make it more difficult for false reporting to be treated as a misdemeanor, he said.

The move to stiffen the penalties for such a crime comes in the wake of several false bomb threats placed on Purdue's campus, local high schools and businesses after the Sept. 11 tragedy, according to Alting.