Georgia’s state Senate has passed hate crimes legislation deemed essential by state leaders after lawmakers struck a deal to remove language protecting police. The bill was passed Tuesday by a vote of 47-6. It now goes back to the state House for debate of Senate changes, which include data collection and reporting requirements and the addition of sex as a protected factor.
The bill would impose additional penalties for crimes motivated by a victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender or disability. Bipartisan support had been thrown in doubt after Republicans added protections for first reponders, but those protections were put in another bill.