House targets convergence of mass shootings, hate crimes
WASHINGTON - A month after a white gunman targeting Latinos killed 22 people in El Paso, Texas, the Democratic-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee will consider new legislation to address rising fears about a convergence of mass shootings and hate crimes.
But only one bill, named the Disarm Hate Act, would seek to use hate crime laws to curb gun violence. The measure, which mirrors laws already on the books in three U.S. states, would prohibit people convicted of certain violent hate crime misdemeanors from possessing a gun. But if approved by the committee and adopted by the full House, the measure could have a hard time in the Senate, where Republican aides say discussions have focused on background checks and red flag legislation.
But even if it became law, the Disarm Hate Act could prove to be little more than symbolic. Experts estimate there are no more than 1,000 hate crime convictions in any given year and that just a small fraction involve misdemeanors. And while 45 of the 50 U.S. states have some type of hate crime law on the books, only about 30 have hate crime misdemeanor offenses.
Experts, meanwhile, say a growing number of mass shootings that involve hate bias could suggest an increasingly deadly role for guns in hate crime activity. "We know that an early precursor to many of these mass shootings is some hate crime activity," said U.S. Representative David Cicilline, who introduced the bill, which has 136 Democratic co-sponsors.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White House Responds to Taylor Swift's VMAs Speech, Does Not Support Equality ActThe White House released a statement regarding Taylor Swift's VMAs speech about the Equality Act petition.
Read more »
Bashing China could be the Democrats' ticket to the White HouseThere's a good chance the same voters who say they don't like 'Trump's tariffs' will support them if they're promoted by Warren, Sanders or Biden. But none of the candidates have put together a credible alternative to tariffs for pressuring China, writes Jake Novak.
Read more »
Citigroup raises minimum wage to $15 after pressure from House DemocratsCitigroup has quietly lifted its minimum wage in the United States to $15 an hour, becoming the last of the big banks to boost pay for frontline workers.
Read more »
Jenny Craig Hauls in a Fat $22 Million for Beachfront HouseJenny Craig sells her beach crib for a cool $22 million.
Read more »
Former Obama White House Counsel Takes Stand in His Own TrialFormer White House counsel Greg Craig took the stand in his own criminal trial, rebutting allegations that he misled the government about his work for Ukraine in 2012.
Read more »