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Okla. Lawmakers Pass Wrong Hate Crimes Bill


OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITOL X390 (PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM

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, according to The Oklahoma Daily.

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. But that’s little solace for Equality Oklahoma president Toby Jenkins.

“People are a little embarrassed that it got this far,” he said.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: FakeName
    Date posted: 9/7/2010 8:04:27 PM
    Hometown: Anytown

    Comment:

    Oh, the story was not "stolen". The Advocate is a news aggregator and it always has been. It summarized a news story and included a link to the source, just like it does with every other story and just like every other news outlet does. Its use of three words of a twelve-word quote do not constitute plagiarism, although accusations of plagiarism made without a basis in fact might very well constitute defamation. Maranon comes off like a whiny self-indulgent child with no understanding of how the news business works. He'd better hope that the editors he wants some day to work for don't remember his name from this tantrum.

  • Name: Bill
    Date posted: 9/7/2010 3:11:57 PM
    Hometown: Lock

    Comment:

    Go To EscapeOKC.com to read story about legal action against the Advocate for stealing this story. This story was originally ran in oklahoma and was stolen by the advocate

  • Name: ellie
    Date posted: 8/11/2010 7:49:41 PM
    Hometown: Norman, OK

    Comment:

    Way to steal someone else's story. You should do yourself a favor and issue a retraction/correct cites and an apology for your irresponsible, lazy "reporting". I'm disappointed that The Advocate is now apparently advocating theft.

  • Name: Soggy Bottom Boi
    Date posted: 8/11/2010 3:53:39 PM
    Hometown: OKC

    Comment:

    This story was stolen from The Oklahoma Daily reporter and my friend Ricky Maranon. Ricky has written a cease and desist letter to The Advocate.

  • Name: Jack
    Date posted: 3/31/2010 10:33:13 PM
    Hometown: Muskogee

    Comment:

    I was born and raised here in Oklahoma and love this state(geographically speaking). However, the mentality is quite challenging to say the least. Hell, the town I live in is where, of all people, Tom Coburn hails from. They are quite backwards here. Most cling to religion and their guns and feel justified in singling out people that don't meet their religious/racial beliefs (racism is quite bad here as well). With that said, it's not much different here than in any other state in the country. I am out and proud here and I make no attempts to hide my sexuality and that helps, but until lawmakers nation wide cease all forms of discrimination, we will have to endure and make ourselves known and continue to fight discrimination.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 3/30/2010 7:36:45 PM
    Hometown: Wappingers Falls

    Comment:

    I don't understand. A state can't opt out of following a federal law?! Speaking of which, what ever happened to ENDA?!

  • Name: John in SF
    Date posted: 3/30/2010 6:37:43 PM
    Hometown: San Francisco

    Comment:

    Oklahoma is truly the worst state in the union. I have been to Tulsa several times and found absolutely nothing of value at all. I cannot understand why anyone would live there, but I am glad they do, it keeps them out of the rest of country.

  • Name: EL
    Date posted: 3/30/2010 4:18:27 PM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    Since when can a state law trump federal law unless a specific provision is made by Federal law to allow the state to determine it's own policy on an issue like is the case with DOMA on gay marriage? If Oklahoma had passed this law as intended, to avoid enforement of the Matthew Shepherd Act, then a law suit would have been in order to strike down the law! Further, the Matthew Shepard Act allows the Federal Government to step in where local governments won't in investigating anti-gay motivated violence, injury or murder so the intent of Oklahoma would have been a mute point! It's so repugnant to me that something as basic as the right to be free from violence and provide law enforcement with the ability to do something about it is considered something worthy of blocking by a disgusting piece of legislation like this. Oklahoma disgusts me. I will NEVER set foot in that damn state. Don't fill out the Census if your gay in that state. It will cost them about $1,400 per person!

  • Name: Jeannie
    Date posted: 3/30/2010 3:48:30 PM
    Hometown: Tempe, AZ, USA, Earth (?)

    Comment:

    What really bothers me is that States believe they can exempt themselves from Federal legislation.

  • Name: Dana Loew
    Date posted: 3/30/2010 3:42:35 PM
    Hometown: Leominster, MA

    Comment:

    Blinded by hate?



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