Latest FBI Data Indicates State Hate Crimes Laws Don’t Prevent Hate Crimes

Hate Crimes

On Monday the FBI released its annual report on hate crimes in America.

The FBI tracks hate crimes committed across the nation regardless of whether or not each state has a hate crimes law on the books.

The report shows the FBI recorded 10 hate crimes in Arkansas in 2019.

All told, the only two states with fewer hate crimes than Arkansas in 2019 were Wyoming and Alabama.

The ten states with the highest number of hate crimes, according to the FBI, were:

  1. California (1,221)
  2. Washington (664)
  3. New York (618)
  4. Texas (560)
  5. Michigan (495)
  6. New Jersey (478)
  7. Massachusetts (441)
  8. Ohio (428)
  9. Colorado (257)
  10. Arizona (254)

These states led the nation in hate crimes despite the fact that all ten of them have hate crimes laws on the books.

High-profile hate crimes have been committed in different states despite state hate crimes laws. For example, on August 3, 2019, a gunman targeted minorities in an El Paso Walmart despite Texas’ hate crimes law, and on October 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue despite Pennsylvania’s hate crimes law.

All of this seems to indicate hate crimes laws are not effective at deterring hate crimes.

This week Senator Jim Hendren (R – Gravette) and Representative Fred Love (D – Little Rock) filed S.B. 3 to enact hate crimes legislation in Arkansas.

But the experiences of other states shows that hate crimes laws like S.B. 3 just don’t work. We all agree that something needs to be done, but passing a hate crimes law simply isn’t the answer.

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Family Council Opposes Hate Crimes Bill

Hate Crimes, Legislation,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 16, 2020

Little Rock – On Monday, Arkansas State Senator Jim Hendren (R – Gravette) and State Representative Fred Love (D – Little Rock) filed S.B. 3 to enact hate crimes legislation in Arkansas.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “No law has ever stopped hate, and no law ever will. It’s a matter of the heart. The experience of other states proves that hate crimes laws do not work. Over the past few years we’ve seen despicable crimes committed in states that have hate crimes laws. According to the FBI, the states with the most hate crimes all have hate crimes laws. It’s clear that hate crimes laws simply do not work. We all agree something needs to be done to address racism in our state, but passing a hate crimes law isn’t the answer.”

Cox said hate crimes laws promote unequal justice. “Laws like S.B. 3 treat crimes and their victims unequally. Targeting anyone and committing a crime is wrong and currently illegal. When hate crimes laws levy harsher penalties for targeting some people but not others, the punishments can differ even if the crimes are the same. The penalty for assault or murder should be the same no matter the victim’s race, religion, or sexual-orientation.”

Cox said Family Council will oppose S.B. 3. “We have opposed hate crimes laws like S.B. 3 every time they have been proposed at the Arkansas Legislature since the 1990s. This legislation was a bad idea 25 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today.”

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Legislators Propose Bad Hate Crimes Bill

Hate Crimes, News, , ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Little Rock – On Wednesday, Arkansas State Senator Jim Hendren (R) – Gravette and State Representative Nicole Clowney (D) – Fayetteville renewed calls for Arkansas to pass hate crimes legislation.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “No law has ever stopped hate, and no law ever will. It’s a matter of the heart. The experience of other states proves that hate crimes laws do not work. Over the past few years we’ve seen despicable crimes committed in states that have hate crimes laws. According to the FBI, the states with the most hate crimes all have hate crimes laws. It’s clear that hate crimes laws simply do not work. This hate crimes law does nothing to address issues like police brutality, no-knock warrants, racial profiling, and unequal justice. It does nothing to address the real issues that people are deeply concerned about. We all agree something needs to be done to address racism in our state, but passing a hate crimes law isn’t the answer.”

Cox said hate crimes laws promote unequal justice. “Laws like the one being proposed here in Arkansas treat crimes and their victims unequally. Targeting anyone and committing a crime is wrong and currently illegal. When hate crimes laws levy harsher penalties for targeting some people but not others, the punishments can differ even if the crimes are the same. The penalty for assault or murder should be the same no matter the victim’s race, religion, or sexual-orientation.”

Cox said Family Council will oppose any effort to pass hate crimes legislation in Arkansas. “We have opposed hate crimes laws every time they have been proposed at the Arkansas Legislature since the 1990s. This legislation was a bad idea 25 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today.”

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