Support Hate Crimes Protections

AAUW Action Network
April 09, 2009

Last week, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 1913), and the House is expected to vote on it at the end of April. This critical piece of legislation will provide much-needed protections and tools to combat-and help eliminate-hate and bias crimes. Help protect women who are not currently protected under the justice system by urging your representative to cosponsor and support this important legislation.

Current law only allows federal involvement in the prosecution of non-federal hate crimes when the victim was targeted because of race, color, religion, or national origin. This legislation would fill a gap in the law by also allowing the Department of Justice to take on cases motivated by the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

While progress has been made in responding to crimes such as domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault, more can be done. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is necessary to ensure an appropriate response when local law authorities cannot or will not give gender-based hate crime victims the protection they deserve. By strengthening protections against bias-motivated crimes and removing some restrictions on when the federal government can assist local authorities in the prosecution of such hate crimes, fewer of these disturbing cases will slip through the cracks.

The bill passed both the House and Senate during the 110th Congress, but a presidential veto threat kept it from being enacted. AAUW Action Network and our Capitol Hill Lobby Corps members have supported this bill in the past, and we ask you to join AAUW again now in sending a clear signal that hate-motivated violence carried out against any individual will not be tolerated.

Take Action!
To urge your representative to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, click on the "Take Action" link in the upper right corner, or copy and paste the following URL into your Internet browser. Then, follow the instructions to send an email to your representative. http://capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=13107436

For more information, read AAUW's letter to representatives urging them to cosponsor this legislation, and read AAUW's full position on preventing hate crimes.

http://www.aauw.org/publications/washupdate/index.cfm