WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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State Senate Republicans passed an amendment to Indiana’s leading Hate Crimes Bill, yesterday evening.
Republican State Senators voted to pass an amendment to Senate Bill 12, which deleted two-thirds of the proposed hate crimes bill; The original 21 page document was cut down to just seven pages, after the State Senate Republicans voted to pass an amendment gutting the bill.
Indiana is one of just five states in the country without a hate crimes bill. SB 12, which was authored by State Senator (R- Lafayette) Ron Alting, would offer the courts the option of charging increased penalties for prejudice-motivated crimes.
After the Republican amendment passed, Senate Democrats walked out of the statehouse in protest. State Senator (D- Bloomington) Mark Stoops was among the 16 State Senators to vote against the bill.
Amendment two passed in the state senate, deleting the specific protections originally included in SB 12. Seven Republicans, including the bills author Ron Alting, broke ranks and voted against the amendment. That amendment passed, with 33 Republicans voting in favor of gutting the bill.
Tomorrow, Indiana’s State Senate will take a final vote on SB 12. Stoops said, without the bill’s original protections, including race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, he won’t vote for it to pass.
Governor Eric Holcomb called on the state legislature to pass a hate crimes bill after nazi graffiti was found at a synagogue in Carmel, last year. Business and community leaders have echoed Gov. Holcomb, saying a bill would help local and state economic development efforts as it would get Indiana off the list of states without a hate crimes bill.
SB 12 faced considerable opposition from religious conservatives throughout the state, in particular because of the protections it afforded members of the LGBTQ+ community.
