Question
Social Issues > Gay Rights > Hate Crime Law
Support the hate crime law for crimes against gays
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Background
The Matthew Shepard Act (officially, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 or LLEHCPA), HR 1592 is a proposed federal bill that would expand the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The bill would also:
- remove the current prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally-protected activity, like voting or going to school;
- give federal authorities greater ability to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue;
- provide $10 million in funding for 2008 and 2009 to help State and local agencies pay for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes;
- require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes against transgender people (statistics for the other groups are already tracked).
The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 3, 2007, 237 to 180, with Barney Frank, one of two openly gay Representatives, presiding.
On 11 July, 2007, Senator Edward Kennedy introduced the bill (S 1105) in the Senate as an amendment to the Senate Defense Reauthorization bill (HR 1585). The Senate hate crime amendment had 43 cosponsors, including four Republicans. After Republicans staged a filibuster on a troop-withdrawal amendment to the defense bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed the votes on the hate crime amendment and the defense bill until September.
The bill passed the Senate on September 27, 2007, as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization bill. The cloture vote was 60 to 39 in favor. The amendment was then approved by voice vote. President Bush has indicated he may veto the DoD authorization bill if it reaches his desk with the hate crimes legislation attached.
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- remove the current prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally-protected activity, like voting or going to school;
- give federal authorities greater ability to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue;
- provide $10 million in funding for 2008 and 2009 to help State and local agencies pay for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes;
- require the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes against transgender people (statistics for the other groups are already tracked).
The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 3, 2007, 237 to 180, with Barney Frank, one of two openly gay Representatives, presiding.
On 11 July, 2007, Senator Edward Kennedy introduced the bill (S 1105) in the Senate as an amendment to the Senate Defense Reauthorization bill (HR 1585). The Senate hate crime amendment had 43 cosponsors, including four Republicans. After Republicans staged a filibuster on a troop-withdrawal amendment to the defense bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed the votes on the hate crime amendment and the defense bill until September.
The bill passed the Senate on September 27, 2007, as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization bill. The cloture vote was 60 to 39 in favor. The amendment was then approved by voice vote. President Bush has indicated he may veto the DoD authorization bill if it reaches his desk with the hate crimes legislation attached.
see more on Wikipedia
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