On Monday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed S.B. 622, a bill commonly being referred to as a hate crimes bill.
This bad bill is vague and subjective. S.B. 622 is so ambiguous that it’s impossible to know just how far-reaching this legislation may be.
S.B. 622 fails to define important terms like ‘recognizable and identifiable.’
Its protections for religious liberty are not adequate.
It does not contain sufficient safeguards to prevent cities and counties from enacting their own, more stringent hate crimes ordinances.
It does not do enough to protect free speech or prevent thought-policing.
The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.
