Lawmaker proposes stronger protections for Alabama public officials, candidates
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — An Alabama lawmaker is pushing for updates to state law to strengthen protections for public officials and candidates for office.
Rep. Donna Givens, R-Baldwin County, announced Wednesday at the Alabama State House that she will propose legislation in the 2026 session to close gaps in current law. She was joined by Christina Woerner McInnis, a candidate for commissioner of agriculture and industries who was the target of a stalking case recently.
McInnis and her family endured months of harassment that required the involvement of local police, sheriff’s departments and the FBI. Despite the seriousness of the case, the man convicted in Baldwin County was sentenced to 90 days in jail but served just seven.
“This isn’t about protecting individuals, it’s about protecting the integrity of public service,” Givens said. “If you don’t do something to protect those who are willing to serve, then we as a city, a town, a county, a community, a nation will suffer because we will not have good people run for office.”
Under Givens’ proposal, physical assault against a current or former public official would be elevated from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony. The legislation would also raise penalties for harassment and harassing communications, expand protections to include candidates and their immediate families, and modernize portions of the legal code without changing their substance.
McInnis said candidates are increasingly vulnerable.
“Right now Alabama law does not do enough to protect people like me, candidates — people who are not in office yet, but who have stepped up into the public’s eye,” McInnis said. “People who are already being threatened, harassed and targeted simply for daring to run.”
Givens says the legislation is necessary because candidates are facing more threats and intimidation, especially through digital and online platforms.
