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Georgia state lawmakers have approved the first-ever hate crime bill put forward by state Senate Republicans Monday, after a deal was reached removing protections for police officers.
“We have a long history in Georgia of embedded discrimination. We can’t deny it. We can’t run from it, but we can change it,” state Sen. Bill Cowsert, a Republican legislator, said Monday. “I heard someone say, ‘If you stand idly by and tolerate hatred and discrimination, you are part of the problem’.”
The bill, which is now headed to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for signature, would institute harsher penalties for hate crimes.
The state Senate also included a requirement that law enforcement agencies report incidents of hate crime to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, so the agency can start tracking where these crimes are occurring in the state of Georgia.
The governor’s signature would mean that Georgia would no longer be one of four states in the U.S. that does not have a hate crime bill.
“Victims need protection against any attack motivated by hatred due to bias or prejudice,” said state Sen. Donzella James, a Democrat from Atlanta, to local Fox 5 News.
“House Bill 426 is a measured approach at doing all of the things that we need to do to treat this injustice,” she added.
The hate-crime bill, which was originally passed by the state House last year, received renewed attention after the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, who was allegedly pursued and killed by three white men in February 2020, along with the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta and across the nation.
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Bipartisan support for the bill was uncertain after Republican lawmakers included a measure protecting “first responders”. However, an agreement was met to remove the statute from the hate crime bill, and place it into a separate bill according to a local news outlet.
“At a time when our nation feels so divided, Georgia is bringing forth a moment of unity,” Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said in a statement Tuesday. “This collaborative effort has produced a strong, meaningful hate crimes bill that protects people in targeted groups and send a strong statement about our values.”
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