An update on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed the House on April 29 by 249-175. Last week Rod 2.0 reported Attorney General Eric Holder was called to testify on the hate crimes bill. That testimony is happening now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld (@kerryeleveld) is Tweeting from the hearings. Eleveld Tweets: "AG Eric Holder testifies: The President and I both urge swift passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. This is a bill that is designed to prosecute and hold people accountable for conduct, not infringe on speech."
Alabama's conservative, anti-gay Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions requested the hearing and is apparently says the bill is unnecessary. Eleveld Tweets: "The US Civil Rights Commission does not support this legislation, its 'overly broad,' will yield 'double prosecutions'."
Although dozens of state attorneys generals and numerous local ppolice departments and sheriffs support the bill, a plurality of the Bush-era, conservative dominated Civil Rights Commission does not.
You have to give it up to that racist, anti-gay jackass from here in Alabama named Jeff Sessions. He still takes the cake with his comments from the 1970's that he told an aspiring black legal aide, "Boy, you better know your place around here." in my book. He is thinks anything that isn't WASP-oriented as "unAmerican". Most people in Birmingham are appalled that his racist a** was reelected last year, but that's conservative a** Alabama for ya.
Sessions can stall all he wants, but the hate crimes bill will pass regardless.
Posted by: kayman | 25 June 2009 at 20:27