Hate
Crimes Prevention Act
November 1, 1999
In
the past week, the United States Congress failed to
enact the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999 as part
of the conference report on the Commerce State Justice
Appropriations Bill. This was a critical piece of legislation
which would have helped to protect the civil rights
of all Americans. As a result, there is an immediate
need for all of those concerned with enacting this critical
anti-bias law and protecting the civil rights of all
Americans to act in response to this grievous situation.
The
Senate and the President need to know that you care
deeply about bias-motivated violence and will not tolerate
the failure of the Congress to enact the HCPA as part
of the Commerce State Justice appropriations bill. We
need to demand that it be an absolute priority for both
the Congress and the Administration to include it in
the expected omnibus appropriations bill. Lawyers' Committee
is calling on all members of the Board of Directors
and the Trustees, Local Affiliates and our friends and
colleagues to take immediate action on this issue.
What
is needed?:
Contact the majority and minority leadership in
the House and Senate and prominent individuals in the
Administration whom you know to inform them of the critical
importance of including the provisions of the HCPA in
the omnibus appropriations bill.
Let
them know that they have an essential leadership role
to play in confronting and punishing criminal activity
motivated by prejudice.
Important
Points:
1. State and local authorities currently investigate
and prosecute the majority of hate crime cases and will
continue to do so. While many states have hate crimes
statutes, they vary considerably in their coverage and
the authority they give state law enforcement to act.
2.
The federal government must have jurisdiction to address
those bias-motivated crimes in states which the law
is inadequate or where state authorities fail to act.
3.
HCPA only provides the necessary backstop to state and
local enforcement by permitting federal authorities
to provide assistance to these investigations and by
allowing federal prosecution when necessary to achieve
a just result
Statement
of Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director Lawyers' Committee
for Civil Rights Under Law, on Hate Crimes
