Lt. Gov. Duncan Introduces New Hate Crimes Bill Amid Pressure Following Arbery Case

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan will not be running for U.S. Senate in 2022, and instead wants to focus on building the the Republican Party in Georgia.

John Bazemore / Associated Press

Updated at 3:47 p.m. Wednesday

Amid public pressure, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has unveiled a new version of a hate crimes bill, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pushed back on that version, questioning why an existing, stalled hate crimes bill, House Bill 426, has not advanced.

On Wednesday, Duncan called H.B. 426 “a simple sentencing enhancement” that “does not go far enough to deter and punish a hate crime.”