Republicans in Georgia’s state Senate have added police as a protected class to proposed hate crimes legislation deemed essential by state leaders, complicating chances of its passage by lobbing a political grenade into the belly of the bill with little time left in the legislative session.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday night approved a hate crimes bill passed by the state House over a year ago but added “first responders” as a protected class alongside race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
“It’s imperative that we support our law enforcement personnel that puts their life on the line for us, just as we do these other classes, categories, groups, of individuals,” said Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert of Athens, who introduced the change.
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