Tennessee Hate Crimes Bill in Committee This Week
Posted by Carla on April 21st, 2009
http://ttgpac.com/2009/04/21/tennessee-hate-crimes-bill-in-committee-this-week/This week, one of the two major bills that the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition has proposed this year will be before a House Subcommittee. This Wednesday, April 22, the House Criminal Practice Subcommittee will take up HB0335 by Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis). This bill would add "gender identity or expression" to Tennessee's hate crimes sentencing enhancement statute.
At the present time, eleven states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai'i, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, along with the District of Columbia, have hate crimes laws covering people based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Last week, the Seattle Times reported that the Washington State House of Represenatives passed similar legislation by a vote of 68 to 30. The Washington State Senate approved the measure last month, and Governor Christine Gregoire is expected to sign it into law.
