On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed S.B. 622, a bad bill widely being referred to as a “hate crimes” measure.
As we have written repeatedly, S.B. 622 is vague and subjective.
The bill 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 House for consideration.
Below is a breakdown of the vote on S.B. 622.
The Following Senators Voted FOR S.B. 622
- B. Ballinger
- Beckham
- Bledsoe
- Caldwell
- B. Davis
- J. Dismang
- L. Eads
- J. English
- Flippo
- T. Garner
- K. Hammer
- J. Hendren
- Hester
- Hickey
- Irvin
- B. Johnson
- M. Pitsch
- Rice
- B. Sample
- J. Sturch
- D. Sullivan
- D. Wallace
The Following Senators Voted AGAINST S.B. 622
- L. Chesterfield
- Elliott
- S. Flowers
- K. Ingram
- G. Leding
- Teague
- C. Tucker
The Following Senators Voted “Present” on S.B. 622
- Gilmore
- Hill
- M. Johnson
- Rapert
- G. Stubblefield
The Following Senator Was Excused
- A. Clark
