The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the signing of an expanded hate crime bill in Vermont.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR also urged lawmakers in South Carolina to pass a hate crime bill.
Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott signed a bill expanding the scope of hate crimes into law. Previously, a prosecutor could only use the enhanced hate crime charge when a victim was impacted. Under H. 118, the law will apply to victims who are part of a protected group. This means that vandalizing a house of worship could be prosecuted as a hate crime.
SEE: Gov. signs bills on hate crimes, workplace violence in hospitals
Lawmakers in South Carolina are trying to get a proposed hate crime bill passed before the legislative session is over. House bill 3039, or the Senator Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act, is named after one of the victims killed in the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting in 2015. Lawmakers have been trying to get it passed for years.
SEE: ‘This is a dire situation’: SC lawmakers push for hate crime bills as end of session nears
“With violent bigotry on the rise nationwide, it is essential that state and local governments take action to stop hate crimes and to enhance penalties for those who carry out acts of bias-motivated violence,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
He noted that CAIR has previously expressed support for the passage of the hate crime bill in South Carolina.
SEE: CAIR Reiterates Support for South Carolina Hate Crime Bill
CAIR Reiterates Support for South Carolina Hate Crime Law After Bill Advances from Subcommittee
CAIR Backs Rally in Support of Proposed South Carolina Hate Crime Bill
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com