Dear Friend,
I joined with my colleagues in introducing and passing national hate crimes legislation. The bill has passed the Congress several times over the last few years – each time with bipartisan majorities.
This bipartisan bill is focused on giving state and local law enforcement the tools and resources they need to prevent and prosecute hate crimes. Congress has been debating federal hate crimes legislation for more than a decade and it was 11 years ago that Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered. The time for debate is long over.
This legislation extends the definition of a federal hate crime to include violent acts committed against persons because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
The bill also extends existing protections to more Americans.The current federal hate crimes statute provides for federal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes in the cases of a violent crime committed against persons because of their race, color, religion, or national origin. This bill closes the current gaps in federal law to also provide federal assistance in the cases of a hate crime committed against persons because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
I look forward to keeping you informed. If you would like to continue to receive updates on this and other issues I’m working on in Congress, please sign up to receive E-Alerts by replying “Subscribe” to this email.
You can also follow me on Twitter by visiting Twitter.com/BradSherman, or become my fan on Facebook. My official government Facebook page is registered as “Congressman Brad Sherman.”
Lastly, please come to my Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, November 15th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Birmingham Charter High School located on the northwest corner of Victory Blvd and Balboa Blvd in Lake Balboa. This will be a chance to hear health care, the economy, taxes, education and all the issues facing Congress. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. For additional information, please contact my San Fernando Valley District Office at (818) 501-9200.
Sincerely,
Congressman Brad Sherman
