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Article: Is Hate Crimes Bill Needed?(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Arkansas Business
- Article date:
- March 5, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Journal Publishing, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SENATE BILL 35, WHICH passed in the Senate before getting knocked down in the Houses Judiciary committee, would allow penalties to be increased up to 20 percent if it was proved that a crime was committed because of the victim's race, color, religion, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
Arkansas is one of only seven states now that doesn't have some sort of hate crimes law. Sen. Bill Walker, D-Little Rock, sponsor of the so-called "hate crimes" bill, said he plans to bring it back before the House committee later this session. And Attorney General Mark Pryor said, "We. have clear language in the bill that says we're not ...