“If you get convicted of a violent crime, you’re going to the Big House, and you’re going for a long time,” said state Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown.

Defending the bill’s “three strikes” rule that will send violent felony offenders to prison for life terms after three convictions, Nemes said, “How many times can you burn down a house? How many people do you get to rape? ... Three is too many times. I would say it ought to be two.”

But not every crime listed in the bill is a violent felony.

One of the most controversial parts of the bill is a new offense, “unlawful camping,” which will be used against homeless people in public. A first offense will be a violation, which can bring a fine up to $250. Further offenses will be a Class B misdemeanor, which can result in arrest and fines.

The bill requires local governments to enforce this part of the law or face sanctions from the attorney general.

Homeless advocates and homeless people have warned the “unlawful camping” crackdown will criminalize poverty on the streets. The bill’s sponsors said they want to get homeless people into shelters and mental health treatment.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to a similar street camping ban in Oregon, to decide whether it violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment if there are no shelter beds available for homeless people.

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