Law and order — Enhanced penalties

Enhanced penalties for everything from murder to sexual child abuse to driving under the influence of marijuana will be a focus for legislators dealing with law enforcement and criminal justice issues.

Sparked by the five-to-life sentence of confessed murderer Mark Hacking, lawmakers will consider increasing the minimum mandatory sentence for first-degree murder to 15 years to life.

Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, and Rep. Dave Ure, R-Kamas, plan to run bills that would significantly increase the penalty for sexually abusing a child. Ure's bill would allow sexual predators to face the death penalty.

Though not as harsh, Ray would also deal strongly with those who commit a second child sexual abuse offense by instituting a mandatory life term for the crime. For first-time offenders, he would seek to increase the treatment requirements in an attempt to be fair "and only put the real predators into jail."

As with many years, bills seeking to close loopholes and further discourage driving under the influence will be carried by Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights. Among those, she is attempting to increase the penalty for anyone who is driving under the influence of marijuana and causes an accident with injuries to a third-degree felony.