WA: Bill to include Gender Identity & Expression in Hate Crimes Laws Approved by Committee
by: Lurleen
Fri Mar 27, 2009 at 13:33:58 PM EDT
http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=D9317455174AF505E0EECC504EA50B84?diaryId=10105On March 25th the House Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Cmte. reported SB 5952 out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation. The vote was 6 YES and 2 NO. Next stop, the House floor. SB 5952 has already passed in the Senate.
The committee session was brief (listen here), but rewarding and telling. Committee Chair Hurst, a veteran of law enforcement, gave a cogent explanation from that viewpoint as to why the bill is needed. Rep Appleton stated the too-true-to-be-obvious: that transpeople are just people. Rep Pearson apparently just doesn't understand or believe that identity-based assault is a form of domestic terrorism. And finally, Rep. Klippert, member of The Washington Hate Coalition, proved that he doesn't even understand how the underlying law works - that the crime is in the words and deeds of the assailant and has nothing to do with how the victim is dressed.
