Governor Eric Holcomb is endorsing a hate crimes proposal that some say isn’t really a hate crimes bill at all.
Holcomb endorsed the bill late Monday after the Indiana House passed an amendment, which defines “bias crimes” as a crime against someone based on their color, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Gender identity is not listed among those protected groups. That has Democrat lawmakers like J.D. Ford (D-Indianapolis) upset.
“I am appalled that the governor would support the language added to SB 198. This does not constitute as a hate crimes bill; gender identity is explicitly left out of this proposal,” Ford said. “Republicans’ blatant omission is telling Hoosiers who are attacked because of their gender identity that they don’t matter in this state.”
Gender identity had been part of the bill as late as February 19th, but it was taken out of the language by Republicans.
