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.

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.

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 Kamala Harris sign in her yard or the Trump sign in theirs - and somebody wants to go and burn their house down. You know, it has devolved into a sense of lawlessness,” Steinhardt says.

Meanwhile, the Hudson County GOP will be hosting a vigil in Jersey City tonight for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot at a Utah university on Wednesday while holding an event.

News 12 will have more on Steinhardt’s bill and the vigil tonight at 10 p.m.