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U.S. NEWS Saturday 9 January 2021
Effort in Arkansas to enact hate crimes law in jeopardy

By ANDREW DeMILLO Hate groups have long identity, and other charac-
Associated Press claimed Arkansas as a ha- teristics," Jerry Cox, execu-
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A ven. Dozens of members tive director of the Family
push to finally enact a hate of the New Aryan Empire, Council, said last year.
crimes law in Arkansas, a a white supremacist group Hutchinson and outgo-
state with a history of white that prosecutors said en- ing Senate President Jim
supremacists, appeared to gaged in drug trafficking Hendren have refused to
have all the elements for and witness intimidation, remove sexual orienta-
success: a popular Repub- were indicted on federal tion or gender identity as
lican governor who made charges in the state last categories under the bill.
it a priority, major corpo- year. The bill has also faced a
rations endorsing the idea In the 1980s, as a U.S. attor- wider complaint from crit-
and support from commu- ney, Hutchinson put on a ics who say the enhanced
nities where hate groups bulletproof vest to negoti- penalties single out certain
have flourished. ate the end of a standoff groups.
But the chance to end Ar- with a white supremacist "If you're going to do it for
kansas' distinction as one group in the Ozark Moun- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks in his office at the state one group of people, why
of only three states without tains. Hutchinson noted Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. wouldn't you do it for an-
such a law is in jeopardy that the case was before a Associated Press other?" said incoming Sen-
even before lawmakers federal hate crimes statute ate President Jimmy Hick-
return to the Capitol. Con- was in place. hancement for hate crime," ing LGBT protections. ey, who said he doesn't be-
servatives have moved to "I got a 20-year sentence he said. "Unfortunately, this law cre- lieve the bill can pass.
defeat the bill in the major- for racketeering against The bill has strong support ates more inequality by fa- The potential for hate
ity-GOP Legislature, though the leader of this group. I'd from Democrats, but con- voring special categories crimes laws getting ap-
similar measures have love to have had 25 years servatives have pressed fa- of people based on their proved is mixed in the other
passed in other red states. in there with a good en- miliar objections to includ- sexual orientation, gender remaining states. q
Georgia in June became
the latest to enact a bill,
leaving Arkansas, South
Carolina and Wyoming as
the remaining outliers.
The bill's dimming prospects
threaten a legislative prior-
ity for Gov. Asa Hutchinson,
who as a U.S. attorney pros-
ecuted racist militia mem-
bers but without a hate
crimes law's specific penal-
ties.
If victims are targeted be-
cause of their race, ethnici-
ty or sexual orientation, "we
have to express as a soci-
ety that should not be tol-
erated and that we should
have enhanced penalties
for that," Hutchinson told
The Associated Press this
week.
The proposal in Arkansas
would impose up to 20%
additional jail time or fines
for targeting someone be-
cause of several factors, in-
cluding race, religion, sex-
ual orientation or gender
identity. Prosecutors would
have to prove the victim's
attributes was a substantial
factor in the crime being
committed.
Similar proposals have
stalled over the years, but
the idea gained new mo-
mentum after Hutchinson
made it a personal cause
and cited the threat of
mass shootings, including
one at a Texas Walmart in
2019 that federal authori-
ties prosecuted as a hate
crime.