State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) and State Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield) announced on Thursday that they have pre-filed the “Child Predator Death Penalty Act” for the upcoming 2026 regular legislative session, with 23 Republican senators and 52 Republican House members already joining as cosponsors.

The legislation allows prosecutors to request the death penalty for those convicted of raping or sodomizing children younger than 12. Under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the death penalty is currently applicable only in cases involving the loss of life — such as murder, robbery in which an individual is killed, and others — but Simpson and Weaver are confident that passing their law in Alabama will force the court to reconsider its precedent.

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