Georgia’s hate crimes bill becomes law on Wednesday, and Sen. Bill Cowsert helped lead the effort on the Senate’s side.
Governor Kemp Signed HB 426 into law last week, which protects people from being targeted because of identities like race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. It also increases penalties for misdemeanors and felonies that are classified as a hate crime. Lawmakers also added a reporting requirement for law enforcement to help document and track hate crimes.
Cowsert told “Morning Edition” host Lisa Rayam that the bill has exposed many raw wounds, particularly after 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was shot to death while jogging through a neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia, in February.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
