We stand with our health care workers.

Our doctors, nurses, and other health care workers see us at the worst times in our lives — we’re dealing with illness or injury or even death. They see us when our emotions are fraught and we’re often not our best selves.

Too often, those fraught emotions turn to anger, and people — patients, loved ones of patients, or others — assault health care workers on the job. Most workplace assaults happen in health care settings, data shows.

That’s not OK.

Our health care workers overwhelmingly act with calm compassion as they care for us, even when we’re not being kind to them.

That’s why it pleased us to see News staff writer Mike Gonzalez’s recent report about new laws aimed at protecting health care workers by increasing the criminal penalties for those convicted of assaulting such workers.

Under the new laws, a person found guilty of assaulting a health professional or medical volunteer without a weapon faces 93 days in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both. A person found guilty of assaulting a health professional or medical volunteer with a weapon faces four years in jail, a fine of $4,000, or both.

We’re glad to see the state get tough on those who would cause harm to people only trying to help.

The health care industry is stressful enough. Those workers don’t need to worry about being harassed or assaulted on the job.

Thanks to the Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for putting those laws in place.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)