It is noble that two state legislators, who experience what the rest of us do at the games our kids play, have proposed bills that would amend the state penal code, making assault of sports officials a misdemeanor offense.

But given the accumulating numbers of darts aimed at referees, umpires and officials, is a misdemeanor enough?

My wish is that Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford and state Rep. Joshua Hall, D-Hartford, who have proposed legislation making it illegal to harass or assault game officials, would push for at least a felony option, given the often varying degrees of offensive behavior. For now, though, they should be congratulated for their efforts, which rise well beyond the level of what our politicos offer us: renaming a river.

Connecticut would become the 24th state to have passed similar legislation, per GameTimeCT, which first reported this last week.

“I see these types of behaviors at youth sports events, and certainly experienced that when I was growing up," Gilchrest told GameTimeCT. "I do think that the negative and violent behavior that parents might exhibit in the stands or the behaviors of a coach can rub off on the children, so it really struck me that we should do more. Youth sports are such an important thing for children and I would hate to see that go away."

According to numbers reported to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Connecticut was home to the largest decline of officials in the country since the 2018-19 school year. Ken Daniewicz, assigner for the Eastern Board of Approved Football Officials, said he’s down 20 officials in recent years. Basketball assigner Roger LaFrancois reported that he’s down about 40. Both said that harassment and abuse are “contributing factors” to the decline.

Last football season, local athletic directors moved games away from traditional Friday nights, citing a shortage of officials.

“This type of legislation would certainly bring awareness to what our officials deal with,” LaFrancois said. “We’ve had a huge decline. It’s getting tougher to recruit and retain officials at every level.”

Gilchrest told GameTimeCT that the proposed legislation “would provide protections for officials for both physical and verbal harm.” The “verbal” part is noteworthy. Abuse is more than a physical altercation.

I was at a basketball game last week watching parents too busy to cheer for their kids because they were officiating every play. (And this was only the JV game.) It was interesting — concerning, really — to see the effect their musings had on the players, who became more and more riled by the word.

“You hear it more at youth levels,” said Daniewicz, a veteran educator, who is an assistant principal at Montville High. “That’s where you see the most volatile parents. At least in high school, there are athletic policies and handbooks to be followed and also give you a better guide for punishment.”

Hall told GameTimeCT: “I have a few constituents who are athletic officials who have reached out to me with their concerns from the youth level and high school level (about) their interactions with spectators regarding intensity or hostility they receive. It is about bringing down the temperature. Our young people are there to learn, to have fun and to grow, and in some instances it doesn't happen because of a few spectators and that shouldn't detract from the experiences.”

GameTimeCT reported that for both or either bill(s) to move forward, the legislature’s Judiciary Committee must raise them to “discern the appetite for this type of legislation," perhaps then moving to a public hearing.

There are few better examples of declining societal decency than in the bleachers. It’s almost hard to fathom how, in many cases, well-meaning, otherwise civilized people become snarling hoodlums at the site of a missed traveling violation. But it’s everywhere. And getting worse. Members of the Judiciary Committee should attend one game at one school on the day and date of their choosing for all the evidence necessary to move this forward.

This has reached legislative levels because the public neither heeds nor respects pregame public address announcements about sportsmanship or posted signs. Sad to say: Arrests need to be made. Felony convictions in some cases. No, it won’t stop selected cretins from ruining kids’ games. But it’ll get many others to think twice, rather than not have to think at all.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro