The Georgia House passed the bill in 2014

 

A bill passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2004 to punish hate crimes has passed the state Senate. The law would have increased the sentences of violent criminal defendants who target the victim because of the victim’s race, religion, national origin, or physical or mental disability. The new legislation does not, however, apply to people who commit crimes based on their political beliefs or religious beliefs. The bill only applies to hate crimes committed by individuals who have bias.

The proposed Georgia Hate Crimes Act was co-sponsored by Representative Chuck Efstration, a white Republican and a former state lawmaker. The bill aims to increase penalties for people who commit hate crimes, including murder, arson, and sexual assault. It also includes stronger penalties for hate crimes motivated by race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. The bill was originally proposed by the Anti-Defamation League, but has since received bipartisan support from several conservative state lawmakers.  lawtrate.com

but failed to pass it in the state Senate. It has since been reintroduced after a viral video of Arbery’s death was published. Although it was a step in the right direction, the bill’s shortcomings make it an unworkable proposal. A lack of training in law enforcement, lack of statistics, and restorative justice alternatives are just a few of the issues that will need to be addressed.

The Georgia House recently passed the bill, which has been on the state Senate for some time. After the death of Arbery, the bill went unused in the state Senate, but it got a second chance after the video was widely circulated. The state took over the investigation of the case has gone viral. The bill was co-sponsored by Representative Calvin Smyre, a black Democrat in the Georgia House since 1975.

Rep. Chuck Efstration, a Republican legislator, introduced the bill to increase penalties for hate crimes. It is a good step forward for the state, as the law will prevent victims from being able to use the internet to commit crimes. The new measure will not affect the rights of the victims, but it will give them greater protection in the court. But the new legislation has limitations. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles may still deny parole to a person convicted of a hate crime.

HB426 is an important step in addressing the longstanding problem of underreporting hate crimes in the state. The new legislation will allow prosecutors to present evidence that a crime was motivated by a bias. The defendant can counter such evidence, and the jury will decide whether a crime was a hate crime. A felony conviction for a hate crime is an unfit way to punish a person for simply punching a person.