[Missouri-l] FW: [leadership] Senate Sends Landmark Hate Crimes Bill to PresidentObama

[Peter Altschul]

  _____  

 

Below is a press release from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
regarding the passage of hate crimes legislation. This legislation that was
attached to the 2010 Defense Authorization, protects individuals with
disabilities. 

 

Eric  

 

Senate Sends Landmark Hate Crimes Bill to President Obama

 

October 22, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis

 

Today, the Senate gave final congressional approval 68-29 to the Matthew
Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expands the
definition

of federal hate crimes and removes unnecessary obstacles to federal
prosecution.

 

With President Obama likely to sign the Act into law soon, civil rights
groups are celebrating a historic achievement following more than a decade
of advocacy.

 

"We applaud lawmakers for recognizing the fundamental right of all Americans
to be protected from violence because of their race, the way they worship,

their sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Congress'
decision to pass this bill sends a clear message to these victims of
violence

and their families - individuals like Stephen Tyrone Johns of Washington,
D.C., Sean Kennedy of South Carolina, Angie Zapata of Colorado, Luis Ramirez

of Pennsylvania, and Matthew Shepard of Wyoming - that we value every
American's basic civil and human right to be safe and free from physical
harm," 

Wade Henderson

, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said.

 

The Act authorizes the federal government to investigate and prosecute
bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual
orientation,

gender, gender identity, or disability.  Currently, the Department of
Justice can only investigate hate crimes motivated by the victim's race,
color, religion,

and national origin when the victim is engaged in a federally protected
activity, such as serving on a jury

 

The bill also gives the federal government jurisdiction over prosecuting
hate crimes in states where the current law is inadequate or when local
authorities

are unwilling or do not have the resources to do so themselves. Local
authorities would also receive additional resources to combat hate crimes.

 

A version of the Act was introduced 12 years ago, and the House of
Representatives and the Senate have passed some version of it at various
times since

then.  A diverse coalition of more than 300 civil rights, professional,
civic, educational, and religious groups, 26 state attorneys general, U.S.
Attorney

General Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, and
virtually every major national law enforcement organizations in America
rallied

in support of the Act over the years, recognizing that 

hate violence is still a major problem in the U.S.

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