Hate crimes

May 11, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has signed into law Senate Bill 604, An Act Concerning Hate Crimes, which strengthens state law by making it a crime to display a noose as a way of harassing or threatening someone.

“Connecticut simply will not tolerate bigotry or racism,” Governor Rell said. “Let this bill send that message loud and clear. Using a noose – a symbol of the racially motivated lynchings during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century – to intimidate anyone because of their race or any other characteristic is a repugnant and cowardly act. No one should be subject to that kind of treatment.    » read more »

(As Prepared for Delivery)

December 14, 2007 -- Mr. President, I rise to express my deep disappointment that the Congress is taking up the Conference Report on the Defense bill without the hate crimes provision. I commend Chairman Levin for his strong leadership in our efforts to have it included as part of this measure. Despite his efforts, and the strong support of Majority Leader Harry Reid, it’s an extraordinary missed opportunity that we are not able to send the hate crimes bill to the President before the end of the year.    » read more »

December 6, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement after House and Senate Conferees failed to include the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Obama is an original cosponsor of the legislation, which would strengthen the federal government's ability to assist local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes motivated by hate and which would provide additional funds to states to develop hate crime prevention programs.    » read more »

November 30, 2007 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci and Joseph Perry, President of the Bangor Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today issued a joint statement regarding the recent threat against NAACP members. The threat from a single individual in the Bangor area has resulted in the cancelation of the community’s Kwanzaa celebration.

The joint statement follows.

“There is no place in Maine for this kind of hatred. We will not stand aside and allow intolerance to infiltrate our communities.    » read more »

November 19, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to the 2006 hate crimes statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.    » read more »

Reported hate crimes at lowest level in eight years, below annual average

November 19, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Reported hate crimes in Florida fell last year to their lowest level since 1998, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced today. McCollum released the Florida Hate Crimes Report covering the 2006 calendar year, noting that a total of 259 hate crimes were reported by local law enforcement agencies that year.    » read more »

October 1, 2007 -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today applauded the passage of the federal Hate Crimes bill in the U.S. Senate. The bill would provide equal protections for every American by extending the definition of hate crimes under federal law to include violence against a person because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity, and provide local law enforcement agencies the resources to combat hate crimes. Dean issued the following statement:    » read more »

09/28/2007 -- SANTA FE, NM-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson today released a statement in support of the U.S. Senate's passage of a federal hate crimes bill that protects Americans from crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity:    » read more »

Sep 27, 2007 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement following the U.S. Senate's vote to support new federal hate crime legislation:

"Every American deserves the right to live without fear of physical violence -- law enforcement should have all the resources and tools it needs to protect every community in America. I have long supported strengthening our hate crimes laws to show that Americans will not tolerate or condone hateful violence of any kind.    » read more »

September 28, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the Kennedy-Smith hate crimes prevention amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill. The amendment would give local, state and federal governments broader authority and resources to investigate and prosecute hate crimes based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity.    » read more »

September 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) made the following statement on the passage of the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was offered as an amendment to National Defense Authorization Act. Obama is an original cosponsor of the legislation, which expands federal law to investigate and prosecute hate crimes to include crimes perpetrated because of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.    » read more »

Aug 7, 2007 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Senator John Edwards released the following statement in response to President Bush’s threat to veto pending federal hate crime legislation.

“Every American is entitled to live in dignity without fear of violence. No community should feel that they can be targeted with impunity. But until law enforcement has the tools to aggressively investigate and prosecute all hate crimes, some Americans will doubt that the government is on their side. President Bush’s threat to veto hate crime legislation sends just that message.    » read more »

May 8, 2007 -- BOSTON – Yesterday, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office obtained a civil rights injunction against two South Boston men accused of a racially-motivated attack on three men of Moroccan descent. The order, granted by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly, prohibits Kenneth Rooney, age 27, and Neil Woodworth, also age 27, from threatening, intimidating or coercing the victims or anyone else in the Commonwealth on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnicity or national origin.    » read more »

May 3, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this afternoon in support of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed by a vote of 237 to 180. Below are her remarks:

“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.    » read more »