Conservatives nervous as hate crimes bill advances

[Butterfly]

Conservatives nervous as hate crimes bill advances
The Pew Forum
By Adele Banks
April 30, 2009


http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=18007


WASHINGTON -- As the House took up a hate crimes bill that would add sexual orientation to a list of federally protected classes, Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition stood outside the Capitol and warned of dire consequences for clergy.

"They know the purpose of this bill is to silence pastors, to silence youth pastors, to silence people of faith," said Lafferty, joining her conservative Christian leaders and Republican lawmakers to oppose the bill.