Video: FBI Data Indicates State Hate Crimes Laws Don’t Deter Hate Crimes
New data released this week by the FBI casts doubt on whether or not state hate crimes laws are effective at deterring hate crimes.
Watch this video to learn more.
Bill Filed to End Abortion in Arkansas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
On Wednesday Senator Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) filed S.B. 6 to make abortion illegal in Arkansas except when the mother’s life is at stake. If passed, the bill will generally prohibit abortion in Arkansas and give the U.S. Supreme Court an opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and other pro-abortion decisions.
Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Many people have been saying for almost fifty years that abortion should be illegal. The time has come for us to make it so. S.B. 6 will give the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade. Family Council fully supports the passage of this good law. This is an opportunity for Arkansas to be a real leader in the effort to end abortion in America.”
Cox pointed out that public opinion polling shows Arkansans oppose abortion. “Arkansans are overwhelmingly pro-life. Recent public opinion polling shows twenty-three percent of Arkansans believe abortion ought to be completely illegal, and fifty-nine percent believe abortion ought to be legal only under certain circumstances.”
Cox said Family Council will work to mobilize Arkansans to support S.B. 6. “We have a grassroots network of about ten thousand Arkansans and churches across the state, and we work very closely with pro-life organizations that oppose abortion nationwide. We believe they will be very excited about supporting this legislation, and they will want to do their part to secure its passage.”
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Photo Credit: Unsplash
Latest FBI Data Indicates State Hate Crimes Laws Don’t Prevent 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:
- California (1,221)
- Washington (664)
- New York (618)
- Texas (560)
- Michigan (495)
- New Jersey (478)
- Massachusetts (441)
- Ohio (428)
- Colorado (257)
- 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.