A while back I wrote about the passage of a bill by the Oklahoma State Senate that sought to nullify the effectiveness of the federal hate crimes bill that protects victims of violence based on their sexual orientation. The Bible beaters in Sally Kern land, however, are none too bright apparently - something I don't find surprising - and in passing their Christianist supported bill, the morons screwed up the bill's language and rather than blocking the hate crimes bill they targeted, ostensibly their bill barred the state from reporting hate crimes based on race and religion instead. Personally, I find the idiocy of the Okies hysterical and it truly suggests that someone will be finding their ass in a sling now that the state has made itself look even more ridiculous. Not only are the homo haters bigots, but they are incompetent bigots to boot. Here are some highlights from The Advocate:*
Lawmakers in Oklahoma thought they’d figured out a way to exempt the state from enforcing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Act, which added protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate crimes act. But thanks to “a legislative error,” the Oklahoma senate has instead passed a bill that sidesteps protections based on race and religion.
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Senate Bill 1965, passed on March 10, states that local enforcement agencies should not enforce any sections of federal law listed under Title 18 U.S. Code Section 245 unless they are already covered by state law. But it’s Section 249, not 245, where sexual orientation and gender identity protections are listed. Section 245 outlines protections based on race and religion.
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Now that the mistake has been made public, the bill has little chance of getting through the House, according to Sarah Warbelow, the Human Rights Campaign’s state legislative director.
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Just perhaps the state would be better served by less Bible beating and religious based hate and more learning how to read and double check citations.
Lawmakers in Oklahoma thought they’d figured out a way to exempt the state from enforcing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Act, which added protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate crimes act. But thanks to “a legislative error,” the Oklahoma senate has instead passed a bill that sidesteps protections based on race and religion.
*
Senate Bill 1965, passed on March 10, states that local enforcement agencies should not enforce any sections of federal law listed under Title 18 U.S. Code Section 245 unless they are already covered by state law. But it’s Section 249, not 245, where sexual orientation and gender identity protections are listed. Section 245 outlines protections based on race and religion.
*
Now that the mistake has been made public, the bill has little chance of getting through the House, according to Sarah Warbelow, the Human Rights Campaign’s state legislative director.
*
Just perhaps the state would be better served by less Bible beating and religious based hate and more learning how to read and double check citations.
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