Please encourage your Indiana legislators to support SB 418: the Hate Crime Bill moving through this year’s legislative session.
A hate crime is one that is committed based on characteristics like:
- Race
- Religion
- Disability
- National Origin
- Gender
- Gender Identity
- Sexual Orientation
Indiana is one of only five states without a hate crimes statute (the others are Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wyoming). When criminals target people based on these immutable characteristics, they harm their victim and threaten the larger community.
A broad alliance of over 90 organizations and businesses, including Noble, have come together to support passage of an Indiana hate crimes statute.
Hate crimes happen everywhere. According to the FBI, from 2008 to 2015, Indiana cities, towns and universities reported nearly 400 bias crimes. However, the actual number is likely higher since many major cities, including Indianapolis, failed to report incidents for multiple years.
The top two reported bias motivators in Indiana are race and religion.
We want legislation that:
- Defines a bias-motivated crime so judges will take it into account as an aggravating circumstance during sentencing.
- Update reporting requirements to require Indiana to report bias-crime data to the FBI for the first time.
Click here if you don’t know who your Senator is and how to contact them.
Then join us for a Hate Crime Law Rally:
Tuesday, January 16th
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Indiana Statehouse
South end of the third floor
PLEASE help us have a strong, diverse, and statewide crowd present! Bring your signs (they must be able to fit through the security belt unfolded). Keep your comments nonpartisan: we need both Republican and Democratic support for this bill to pass.
