Dear Mr. Caverley:
Thank you for your contacting me in opposition to H.R. 1913, which is generally referred to as the Hate Crimes bill. It was good to hear from you.
H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was introduced by Representative John Conyers (D-MI) on March 2, 2009, would provide Federal assistance to state, local, or tribe officials for crimes that are designated as hate crimes. Additionally, this bill would add gender and sexual orientation to the definition of what constitutes a hate crime. Every violent crime is abhorrent and should be prosecuted to the fullest regardless of who the victim is and there are state laws in place that uphold this.
I did not vote for this bill because of my concern that it would provide special protection for select groups of people, as well as threaten religious freedom and freedom of speech. The bill, however, was passed by the House of Representatives on April 29, 2009.
Again, thank you for taking the time to e-mail me. Please let me know when I may be of assistance in the future.
Sincerely,
Steve Austria
Member of Congress
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