Both state senators whose districts include parts of St. Lawrence County have received support for bills intended to protect emergency workers with stiffer penalties, in one case for harassing them, and in the other case for killing them.

The state Senate has passed Sen. Joseph Griffo’s bill that makes aggravated harassment of a police officer or peace officer a class E felony.

Griffo, a Republican from Rome representing the 47th district which includes the eastern portion of St. Lawrence County, noted that recently in the City of Utica, four people were charged after an incident in which an officer was not promptly obeyed. He said that his original interest in developing a new law to safeguard police grew from a similar incident in 2008.

Griffo noted that this legislation applies to corrections officers.

The bill now goes to the Assembly.

Meanwhile the Firemen’s Association of New York State has lent its support to Sen. Patty Ritchie’s proposed “Mark’s Law,” which would elevate the killing of emergency workers to first-degree murder.

The measure is named to honor Jefferson County EMT Mark Davis, who was shot to death while responding to an emergency call.

The killing of an emergency first responder, volunteer or paid firefighter, ambulance driver, paramedic, physician or nurse involved in an emergency team would be punishable by the stiffest penalty allowed under New York law, life imprisonment without parole.

The 48th District Republican said that, in addition to support from the firefighters organization, nearly 1,000 firefighters, emergency responders and friends have signed her online petition to build support for the measure.

The petition is at Ritchie’s website, www.ritchie.nysenate.gov.

The bill is sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblywoman Addie Russell.