Hate-crime enhancements put on agenda of LR board

Little Rock city directors next month will take up an ordinance that would increase penalties for hate crimes.

The proposed ordinance states that laws that provide enhanced penalties for crimes that target individuals because of their race, religion or sexual orientation are a way for society to recognize that those offenses “strike special fear within victimized groups, fragment communities, and tear at the very fabric of our democratic way of life.”

The proposal would update city code to make those crimes carry fines up to $1,000, depending on the violation, for a first offense, a sentence of up to one year in jail, or a combination of fine and imprisonment.

Ward 3 City Director Kathy Webb said during Tuesday’s meeting she had begun working on the ordinance while the previous mayor was in office and had been prepared to put it before the board in early March before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

“We sat on it for a while, but it’s time to discuss it,” she said.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. acknowledged Webb’s “leadership and steadfastness” in getting the ordinance written, and said though it was a long time coming, the need for such an ordinance was more apparent than ever.

The ordinance comes up for public discussion after weeks of protests in Little Rock and across the country calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality after the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at his daily briefing Tuesday that he was aware that state legislators were drafting a bill regarding hate crimes in the state. He said he applauded their efforts.

“If the Legislature passed a hate-crimes bill along the lines that I’ve expressed support for, I would certainly sign it,” he said. “We don’t want that kind of racial hatred or hate crime carried out in Arkansas without significant consequences.”

Arkansas is one of five states that does not have a law targeting bias-motivated violence or intimidation, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The ordinance proposed for Little Rock will be on the agenda for the city board’s July 7 meeting.