NJ state senator wants to reclassify political violence as a hate crime
It comes after political assassinations in Minnesota and Utah this year.
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A New Jersey state senator is working on legislation to reclassify acts of political violence. It comes after political assassinations in Minnesota and Utah this year.
Republican state Sen. Doug Steinhardt, who represents parts of Hunterdon and Warren counties, will introduce the bill. He says it would be the first in the nation to outright classify violence targeted for political reasons as a hate crime.
“Committing a violent crime because of somebody's political view,” said Steinhardt, “the same as they might treat somebody who commits their crime because of their ethnicity or their gender or whatever the case may be.”
Hate crimes are subject to harsher penalties because of the bias against a group of people.
Steinhardt says at least one prominent Democrat, state Sen. Brian Stack, of Union City, supports this idea and will be a co-sponsor.
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“I want to make sure that this has teeth, and that it serves its intended purposes,” Steinhardt said. “To allow folks to be able to express themselves freely and safely.”
He hopes that a bill like this won't let acts of violence deter people from expressing their beliefs.
"Unfortunately, now, it's the person who's waving an American flag on the street corner, or the person that's waving a Palestinian flag on another corner, or the person who has the Kamala Harris sign in her yard or the Trump sign in theirs - and somebody wants to go and burn their house down,” Steinhardt said. “It has devolved into a sense of lawlessness.”
The Hudson County GOP hosted a vigil in Jersey City on Friday night for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot at a Utah university on Wednesday while holding an event.
