House of Representatives Passes Bill to Help Expand Hate Crimes Coverage

In 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered and his killers apparently committed the crime because Shepard was gay.  It is nearly a decade later and Congress is attempting to add sexual orientation as a protected class of people under hate crime laws. (CNN)  In May of this year the House of Representatives voted on a bill that would allow sexual orientation a part of hate crime laws that already protect crimes motivated by race, color, or national origin.  (CNN) The bill, which would give law enforcement greater "leeway to investigate hate crimes and provide 10 million over the next two years to aid local prosecutions" was passed by a 237-180 vote, this vote fails to override a presidential veto.  (CNN)  The Bush administration called the bill unnecessary because local laws already address crimes motivated by prejudice of gay men and women (CNN) 

Today, the Senate held a vote for the bill, labeled S.1105, but many are crying foul. (NY Times) The reason for the public outcry is the way the bill was presented for the vote.  The Senators, including Sen. Kennedy (D-MA), "attached the hate-crime provision to a seemingly unrelated defense authorization bill, which is needed to run the Defense Department" (NY Times) Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) called the attachment to the military bill "shameful." (NY Times) Matt Barber, spokesman for Concerned Women for America (CWA), called the maneuver "underhanded" because "if he [Bush] vetoes the Defense Authorization bill because they've attached this hate crimes legislation to it, then they can accuse him of being a hypocrite and not funding the troops." (One News Now)  Dana Perino, White House spokeswoman, joined in the CWA's dissent by saying the White House's position on expanding the hate crime bill had not changed but that she could not say for sure whether President Bush would veto the bill or not. (NY Times)  Senator Kennedy stood by the bill and stated the bill was "part of an effort 'to continue to march toward progress in the United States of America" and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) seconded Kennedy's sentiment by saying "there is no civil rights issue before this Congress that is more overdue."

For more information, please see:

"White House Threatens to Veto Hate-Crimes Bill" CNN May 3, 2007

"Senate Backers of 'Hate Crimes' Bill Criticized for 'Sneaky' Tactics" One News Now July 14, 2007

"Hate-Crime Provision Clears Sena te" New York Times September 27, 2007