INDIANAPOLIS — One local lawmaker says a hate crimes bill the Senate passed Thursday will most likely change once it’s heard in the House, but he’s unsure which side of the debate will prevail.
The Republican-dominated Indiana Senate OK’d the stripped-down hate crimes bill by a vote of 39-10 on Thursday. The legislation was changed two days earlier to remove a list of specifically protected characteristics, such as sexual orientation, gender identity and race — the crux of the initial bill.
Among those voting against the amended Senate Bill 12 were its authors: GOP Sen. Ron Alting and Democratic Sen. Greg Taylor. Republican Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, voted in favor of the bill.
As the bill was heard in committee, Crider said a few senators proposed removing public safety from the list of protected traits, which drew ire from some Republicans. He said making the bill’s language more generic allows judges to consider bias against all types of people and not only certain groups.
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"I think we’re at a pretty decent place right now," Crider said, adding the bill caused the "most intense discussion" he’s seen in his seven years serving in the Senate.
Rep. Bob Cherry, R-Greenfield, said he has talked to people on both sides of the issue in preparation of the bill entering the House next week. Cherry has previously told the Daily Reporter he thinks the bill should be framed generally to cover all types of people rather than listing specific traits. He expects the legislation to change in House committees, adding he’s trying to stay neutral on the issue once it’s in the House.
“My mind is pretty open right now," Cherry said. "I want to make sure we do the right thing for Hoosiers.”
GOP Reps. Greg Steuerwald, of Danville; and Tony Cook, of Cicero, were both assigned as sponsors of the bill in the House. Steuerwald wrote his own bias crimes bill with no protected list, while a bill Cook authored covered traits, such as religion, gender identity and sexual orientation.
The amendment stripping protected characteristics immediately drew criticism from Gov. Eric Holcomb as well as civil rights activists and business interests. The amendment added the words "including bias" to current state code on factors a judge may consider in handing down a sentence.
"Just saying ‘bias’ includes everybody, whether it’s based on race, religion, sexual orientation, whatever the case may be, that if a crime is committed with bias, then the judge would have the ability to use that as an aggravator," said Republican Sen. President Pro Tem Rodric Bray.
Holcomb had included the original legislation among his legislative priorities for the 2019 session and said the amended bill "does not get Indiana off the list of states without a bias crime law." Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina and Wyoming are the other states without hate crime laws. Holcomb said the state’s status of not having a law on the books was hurting business recruitment efforts.
Indiana Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Brinegar said in a statement immediately after Thursday’s vote that his group will be among the business interests seeking to strengthen the bill.
"Unfortunately, what passed the Senate does not meet the all-important criteria of a meaningful bias crimes law," Brinegar said. "The Indiana Chamber and its members will continue to work with all legislators to do just that."
A coalition of supporters of a stronger bill called Indiana Forward includes major state employers, nonprofits, faith-based groups, trade groups, colleges and universities. Its co-chairman, David Sklar, said the bill passed Thursday "has absolutely no teeth."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
