Pa. House to review new hate crimes bill

HARRISBURG - Spurred by the attack on a gay couple last month in Philadelphia, legislation to broaden Pennsylvania's hate crimes law to include sexual orientation took a first step toward becoming law.

The House Judiciary Committee, acting with unusual speed, approved the bill Monday by a vote of 19-4, sending it to the House floor with just five days left in the legislative session.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Brendan F. Boyle (D., Phila.), urged GOP leaders to bring up the bill for a vote before the session ends next week.

"Today's passage of my legislation expanding Pennsylvania's hate crimes definition to include sexual orientation marks a historic turn in our Commonwealth's policies," said Boyle.

House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said the bill is under review.

The current hate crimes law protects people who are harassed or attacked on the basis of gender, religion or ethnicity.

Sexual orientation was added by the legislature in 2002, but the amendment was struck down six years later by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on a technicality. The Boyle bill also would add physical disability to the list of hate crimes under the law.

Three people have been charged in the Sept. 11 attack on a gay couple in Center City Philadelphia after a verbal altercation on the street.

Several of the committee members who voted against the bill - all Republicans - objected to the addition of a "new protected class."

"Hate against anybody is equally bad," said Rep. Rick Saccone (R., Allegheny) "We have to stop creating protected classes."

The legislation amends the Pennsylvania Crime Code, expanding the offense of ethnic intimidation to include malicious intention against the actual or perceived ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams applauded the movement of the bill. Although it would not allow tougher charges against those who committed the Center City crime, it would allow future offense to be upgraded.

"It sends a message," Williams said in an interview at the Capitol. "We need a deterrent to people thinking it's OK to commit these crimes against a couple in love walking hand-in-hand at 16th and Calder."

Thirty states include crimes motivated by sexual orientation in their hate crimes laws. Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast that does not.