[transgendernews] [PR] [USA] BY A STUNNING 35-0 VOTE, NEW JERSEY SENATE APPROVES OVERHAUL OF THE STATE'S HATE CRIMES AND SCHOOL BULLYING LAWS
Autumn Sandeen
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~~Autumn~~
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BY A STUNNING 35-0 VOTE, NEW JERSEY SENATE APPROVES OVERHAUL OF THE
STATE'S HATE CRIMES AND SCHOOL BULLYING LAWS
The full Assembly will pass the bill on Monday. Earlier today, the
Assembly Judiciary Committee approved the bill 5-0.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Contact: Steven Goldstein, cell (917) 449-8918
Source: Garden State Equality
By a stunning 35-0 vote, the New Jersey Senate just approved S2975,
sweeping legislation to strengthen New Jersey's hate crimes and
anti-school bullying laws. The full Assembly will vote on the bill,
conceived by Garden State Equality and the New Jersey
Anti-Defamation League, this Monday, January 7th. Earlier today,
the Assembly Judiciary Committee approved the bill 5-0.
The bill comes on the heels of a just-released FBI report that ranks
New Jersey #2 in hate crimes nationally, behind only California.
The prime Assembly sponsors are Wilfredo Caraballo, Valerie Vainieri
Huttle, Upendra Chivukula and John McKeon. The prime Senate
sponsors are Barbara Buono and Loretta Weinberg.
The bill does the following:
1. Adds "gender identity or expression" as a protected class to the
state hate crimes law. Combined with the 2006 expansion of the
state's Law Against Discimination to include gender identity or
expression, the strengthened hate crimes law will make New Jersey's
laws for the transgender community unsurpassed in all America.
2. It updates other parts of the hate crimes law by adding
"national origin" as a protected category, which thus far has been
included in the law by interpreting "ethnicity" to include such; and
substitutes the more sensitive term "disability" for "handicap."
3. It specifies that a "mistake of fact" by a defendant committing
a hate crime is not a defense.
4. It requires two hours of hate-crimes sensitivity training for
all new police officers.
5. It specifies suggested sentencing options to which judges can
sentence defendants, such as anti-hate sensitivity training.
6. It creates a study Commission on Bullying in Schools, which has
nine months to investigate the problem and make recommendations to
the Governor and legislature for further legislation.
7. It requires schools post their anti-bullying policies on their
websites, and to distribute their anti-bullying policies, within 120
days after enactment of the law.
"As Washington stumbles through one of the most disappointing years
ever for the LGBT community, including Congress' refusal to pass a
hate crimes law and the cruel elimination of the transgender
community from an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that President
Bush still won't sign," said Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State
Equality, "New Jersey continues to be a national beacon for civil
rights."
"The enactment of this bill will be the start of another amazing
year in New Jersey," said Goldstein, "and we look forward to
culminating 2008 with the enactment of a marriage equality statute."
The passage of the hate crimes/school bullying bill will mark the
154th LGBT law enacted in New Jersey at the state, county and
municipal levels since Garden State Equality's founding in 2004.
That's more LGBT civil rights laws in less time than in any other
U.S. state, ever in American history.
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~~Autumn Sandeen~~
Transgender Advocacy And Services Center (TASC) of San Diego
Planning Group Member
transgendernews YahooGroup News Archivist/Moderator
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