Hate crimes bill introduced in Ga. House

A gay and transgender-inclusive hate crime bill has been introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives, while a bill requiring HIV testing of prisoners was introduced in the state Senate.

Rep. Pedro “Pete” Marin (D-Duluth) had put forth the hate crimes bill, H.B. 111. It would offer sentence enhancement for hate crimes motivated by the victim’s “race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national origin.”

The legislation would officially amend Georgia’s previous hate crimes law, which was struck down by the state Supreme Court in 2004 on the grounds that its definition of hate crimes as those motivated by “bias or prejudice” was unconstitutionally vague. Lawmakers had enacted the bill without naming specific categories out of concern that it would not pass if “sexual orientation” was included.

 See Hate crimes bill introduced in Ga. House
Southern Voice, GA