Colorado Bill Would Expand Bias Crime Laws, Adding New Classes to State's Harassment Laws
Written by: V. Wolf
The Colorado legislature is currently deliberating on a measure that would add new classes to the state's bias-motivated crime and harassment laws.
Senate Bill 24-189, known as Gender-Related Bias-Motivated Crimes, recently passed through the Colorado Senate Judiciary committee in a party-line vote of 3-2. If enacted, the bill would incorporate gender identity and gender expression as protected classes under Colorado's bias-motivated crime laws.
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Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to ensure the safety and security of all Coloradans. State Sen. Rhonda Fields, a primary sponsor of the bill said in a press release, "Every Coloradan deserves to feel secure in their community, but far too many folks have been targeted because of who they are or how they identify."
Fields further added that the bill aims to make the state safer for all residents, especially trans, nonbinary, and gender-expressive individuals who face increasing threats nationwide.
However, critics, primarily from conservatives, argue that this legislation is unnecessary and an example of Democrats needlessly expanding the role of government. Bob Gardner, the assistant minority leader, and Kevin Van Winkle, both Republicans, voted against the bill. Gardner, who is running for U.S. Congress in CD5, and Van Winkle, who is running for Douglas County Commissioner, have expressed concerns about the potential overreach of the legislation. Both face challenging Republican primaries.
The bill also seeks to redefine sexual orientation for the purposes of bias-motivated crimes.
It would now encompass an individual's identity or another person's perception of their identity in relation to the genders to which they are sexually or emotionally attracted, as well as the behavior or social affiliation that may arise from this attraction.
State Sen. Chris Hansen, another primary sponsor of the bill, commended Colorado for being a national leader in advancing equality and protection for LGBTQ+ individuals. Hansen, said in a press release, that he believes that SB24-189 will safeguard Coloradans from violence or harassment based on their gender identity or expression, while holding perpetrators of bias-motivated crimes accountable for their actions.
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Some critics from both sides of the aisle argue that this bill is unnecessary, citing the existing protections already in place. They contend that further expanding the scope of bias-motivated crime laws may lead to government overreach and unnecessary regulation.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2022, Colorado law enforcement reported 71 hate crime cases involving an individual's sexual orientation and an additional 20 cases involving the victim's gender identity.