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Richard Piatt ReportingUtah lawmakers are giving initial approval to a new version of a Hate Crimes bill. It's the sixth year in a row the bill has advanced so far, and this year could be different.
It's been years in the making: A Hate Crimes bill even some conservative lawmakers support. Still, this latest version has opposition.
John Bowers, Utah Eagle Forum: "There is no epidemic, there is no emergency."
It's true, Hate Crimes don't happen every day, but they can be so powerful, generate so much fear, that the topic keeps coming up. This year's version to crack down on Hate crimes is new. It would allow judges to consider hate as an aggravating factor to a crime, only at sentencing. Previous proposals considered Hate Crimes an enhanced offense.
Also gone is the list of potential victims. But the history of the bill, often seen as a way to give special rights to gays and lesbians, seemed to linger.
Sandra Rodriguez, Opposed Hate Crime Bill: "You cannot regulate hate. You cannot stop hate. If we learned this bill would stop hate, I would tell you to go ahead and vote for this bill."
Supporters include the Attorney General, Utah's police chiefs, and the Governor. All see it as a law enforcement tool to address an issue they say is falling through the cracks.
Rep. David Litvack, (D) Salt Lake City: "They are acts of domestic terrorism. The intent of that perpetrator is to instill fear and terror."
Abraham Rodriguez, Opposes Hate Crime Bill: "The hate crime doesn't make sense to me. They say you won't be punished on thought, but the reality is you will."
Even with all the work that went into this latest version of the hate crimes bill, its fate is uncertain. Its supporters have changed their focus; its opposition has not.
