By GEORGE JARED/ TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS
Arkansas is one of the only states without some type of hate crime law on the books, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said more than once it’s a top priority for him during the current legislative session. SB622, filed Thursday will attempt to solve that problem.
The bill, filed by Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr., R-Texarkana, Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, and Rep. Carol Dalby, R-Texarkana, had not been assigned to a committee as of Thursday morning. Talk Business & Politics has confirmed that the bill is an alternative to the previously filed hate crimes legislation which has stalled during the session. It’s described as a “class protection bill.”
https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/alternative-hate-crimes-bill-filed-arkansas-legislature
A hate crimes bill has so far not gained any momentum in the Arkansas General Assembly, so SB622 was filed Thursday as an alternative.
CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS