Senate passage of hate-crimes bill wins plaudits

Jewish groups are hailing the Senate’s passage of legislation expanding federal involvement in hate crimes. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and B’nai B’rith International have all released statements today praising the vote attaching the hate-crimes bill to the defense authorization bill.

"Bias-motivated crimes have terrorized families and communities for far too long," said RAC director Rabbi David Saperstein. "The Senate’s vote for the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a celebration of tolerance and respect and will give law enforcement the tools necessary to battle hate-motivated violence. Every life has incalculable value, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender or disability, and this legislation will work to ensure that all of God’s children are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve."

"While all crimes are tragic, those that target individuals or groups specifically because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or other classifications, are particularly heinous," said JCPA president Rabbi Steve Gutow. "When an individual is harmed simply because of his or her identity, it harms our communities and entire nation.  This legislation would clearly demonstrate that our government is committed to securing dignity for all people in our nation.”

Saperstein responded to some conservative criticism of the bill, emphasizing that "the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment are precious; they cannot and will not be infringed by last night’s vote. The hate crime protections included in the legislation deal solely with violent conduct and no person, whether a member of the clergy or otherwise, will be prosecuted for their thoughts, words, or beliefs."

The legislation would permit greater federal involvement in investigating hate crimes and expand the federal definition of such crimes to include those motivated by gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. Supporters say the legislation would allow federal authorities to pursue hate-crimes cases when local authorities are either unable or unwilling to do so. A similar bill passed in the House, and President Obama has said he will sign the bill.

After the jump, statements from the RAC, JCPA and BBI:

First the RAC:

In response to last night’s passage of the Leahy/Collins/Kennedy/Snowe hate crimes amendment (The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act) to S. 1390, the FY 2010 Department of Defense Authorization bill, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:

We welcome last night’s long-overdue Senate vote in favor of hate crimes prevention. Bias-motivated crimes have terrorized families and communities for far too long. The Senate’s vote for the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a celebration of tolerance and respect and will give law enforcement the tools necessary to battle hate-motivated violence. Every life has incalculable value, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender or disability, and this legislation will work to ensure that all of God’s children are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

The rights guaranteed by the First Amendment are precious; they cannot and will not be infringed by last night’s vote. The hate crime protections included in the legislation deal solely with violent conduct and no person, whether a member of the clergy or otherwise, will be prosecuted for their thoughts, words, or beliefs.

The passage of this amendment is an exciting step in the decade-long struggle to protect the safety and physical wellbeing of all Americans. It will give law enforcement the training and resources they need to combat the violence that results from hatred and intolerance and help heal affected communities. We call on both houses of Congress to move the bill swiftly through conference and to the President’s desk for enactment.

And JCPA:

Senate approval of the Leahy, Collins, Kennedy, Snowe Hate Crimes Amendment to the FY2010 Department of Defense Authorization Bill is a key step forward in broadening the definition of “hate crimes” and providing additional federal resources to fight bias motivated violence, says a leading Jewish advocacy group.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), along with other members of the American Jewish community, have long supported enactment of hate crimes legislation and applauded today’s passage of the amendment, which is identical to the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  The Senate Amendment was proposed by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act would expand federal hate crime laws to provide better protection for vulnerable populations and increase resources to assist local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to deter, investigate and prosecute hate crimes.  This legislation would also expand the definition of a hate crime to include violent crimes based on gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, and disability.

“The concept of kavod habriot, or ‘human dignity,’ implores one to ‘honor all living beings,’” said Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).  “Judaism views the dignity of every individual as one of its greatest values, and a tenet we have strived to uphold.  While all crimes are tragic, those that target individuals or groups specifically because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or other classifications, are particularly heinous.  When an individual is harmed simply because of his or her identity, it harms our communities and entire nation.  This legislation would clearly demonstrate that our government is committed to securing dignity for all people in our nation.”

In April of this year, the JCPA hosted a national teleconference for its network of Jewish grassroots organizations and community relations professionals to discuss the importance of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and encourage its passage.  Participants heard from one of the legislation’s original U.S. House cosponsors, U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), and noted hate crimes prevention advocate Michael Lieberman from the Anti-Defamation League, a JCPA national member agency.

The Leahy, Collins, Kennedy, Snowe Hate Crimes Amendment passed the Senate by unanimous consent after a 63-28 procedural vote.

Now, B’nai B’rith International:

B’nai B’rith International welcomes the Senate passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The legislation would enable greater federal involvement to investigate and punish hate crimes. Matthew Shepard was a gay student at the University of Wyoming who was left to die after he was tied to a fence and beaten in 1998.

The legislation would designate as hate crimes those offenses motivated by gender identity, sexual orientation, gender, and mental and physical disability. It would also provide grants for state and local authorities to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, and would empower the federal government to prosecute cases if states asked for help or were reluctant to exercise their own authority.

B’nai B’rith has worked on behalf of expanded hate crimes legislation since it was first proposed a decade ago.

“This expansion of federal hate crimes laws affords protection to groups long disenfranchised from the system,” said B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin. “This new measure means the most vulnerable in our society have an important new cloak of protection. Law enforcement agencies at all levels will now be able to punish hate crimes with the full backing of the U.S. government.”

The House has already passed a similar measure. We urge the House and Senate to quickly reconcile their versions of the legislation. President Obama has promised to sign a hate crimes bill into law.