Arkansas governor and legislators introduce 'long overdue' hate crimes legislation
On Wednesday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the state attorney general and a group of bipartisan state legislators unveiled draft legislation to be considered next year when lawmakers convene for the next General Assembly session in January.
The proposal would increase penalties by no more than 20% for crimes where an offender targets a victim because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, homelessness or military service.
"We need to say clearly that Arkansas will not tolerate violence against anyone because of their race, their religion or because of who they are," Hutchinson, a Republican, said Wednesday during a news conference at the state Capitol. "We are at the point in our history that we must hold to a greater degree of accountability those who target individuals because of where they were born, how they worship or how they choose to live."
Arkansas already has a law that enhances penalties for crimes against police officers and first responders, but Wednesday's proposal would build on that.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/arkansas-governor-and-legislators-introduce-long-overdue-hate-crimes-legislation/ar-BB18c2ZB?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=DELLDHP