Indiana House Democrats rally at Statehouse for a hate crimes bill that protects all Hoosiers

Today, at a rally hosted by Women4Change, 13 House Democrats rallied with key stakeholders to say that the House Republicans’ hate crimes proposal is not good enough because it doesn’t protect all Hoosiers. Senate Bill 198, which was amended in the House last week to include a hate crimes proposal from House Republicans, does not have language that would protect all victims of a hate crime, including women and members of the transgender community.

Representatives Pat Boy (D-Michigan City), Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette), Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster), Chris Chyung (D-Dyer), Sue Errington (D-Muncie), Rita Fleming (D-Jeffersonville), Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis), Ragen Hatcher (D-Gary), Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond), Karlee Macer (D-Speedway), Tonya Pfaff (D-Terre Haute), Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), and Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) all delivered remarks calling on Senate Republicans, House Republicans and Governor Holcomb to work together with Senate Democrats and House Democrats to pass a hate crimes bill into law that would protect every single Hoosier under a specific list of characteristics that includes: ancestry, age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, military service, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.  

Senate Bill 198 fails to include protections for Hoosiers who are victims of a crime based on their gender, gender identity, age, and ancestry. House Democrats attempted to amend those characteristics into Republican’s hate crimes legislation five times this session, but their proposals were rejected every time by House Republicans.

Without those additions, Hamilton said last week that women will not be protected from hate crimes, noting, “That means we will be passing a law that does not protect more than half of all Hoosiers.”

During the rally for changes to the House Republicans’ hate crimes proposal, members of the Indiana House Democratic Caucus said:

Candelaria Reardon: “This bill does not solve the real problem being faced by Hoosiers for simply being who they are.”

Chyung: “The most talented members of my graduating class left the state because of its backwards reputation. The legislature’s inability to pass a comprehensive hate crimes bill adds to that negative reputation.”

Hamilton: “We're not here to talk about getting off a list. We are here talking about good public policy which means a comprehensive hate crimes law.”

Hatcher: “We should want to protect everyone here and send the message that all are welcome and safe here.”

Jackson: “A hate crime does not just affect the person who is the victim, it affects an entire community. Do we want people who come to Indiana to think of us as a state that doesn’t protect people?”

Macer: “We need to revise this toothless legislation that still leaves people at risk. We are talking about people’s lives, people who are at risk simply because of who they are. If we choose not to protect them, what kind of message are we sending out about our state?”

Pryor: “At the very least, this bill should include the same protections that are at the federal level. Everyone deserves to be protected.”

Kim Acoff, a member of the transgender community; Mindi Goodpaster, Vice President of Public Policy for United Way of Central Indiana and co-chair of Indiana Forward; Rima Shahid, Executive Director of Women4Change; and Deborah Hearn Smith, former CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana also called on House and Senate Republicans to pass comprehensive hate crimes legislation that protects all Hoosiers.

Last Friday, Indiana Forward and the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement indicating that a bill without a list of characteristics including age, ancestry, gender and gender identity would not get Indiana off the list of states without a hate crimes law.

SB 198 is currently under further consideration by the Senate. The Senate will either concur with the changes approved by House Republicans or send the bill to conference committee for further debate and consideration.