House Bill 426, Georgia’s hate crimes bill, was passed by state lawmakers on Tuesday. It now awaits approval by Governor Brian Kemp.
In a release from the Georgia House of Representatives, State Representative Vernon Jones, a Democrat from Lithonia, stated, “It was a good step forward in the right direction, although my amendment, which would have included political ideology, party affiliation and freedom of speech as protected classes was not included in the final version of House Bill 426. I was still proud to support and vote ‘yes’ for this hate crime legislature.”
The final vote was 127-38 in the House and 47-6 in the Senate. For additional information on HB 426, visit www.legis.ga.gov.