Protesters, lawmakers urge passage of hate-crimes bill
Georgia lawmakers reconvened Monday for the last lap of the 2020 legislative session as protesters marched by the thousands to the state Capitol in Atlanta to condemn police brutality and racial injustice.
The march, organized by the Georgia NAACP, started from the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and proceeded the half-mile to the Capitol, where protesters greeted mask-wearing state lawmakers who took their seats in the Georgia House and Senate chambers amid new distancing requirements prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
At the protest march, several speakers called on lawmakers to pass a package of criminal justice reform bills that include repealing the state’s citizen’s arrest and stand-your-ground laws, as well as creating “antichoke hold” rules, a ban on no-knock search warrants and new oversight for district attorneys.
“If they don’t pass these bills, then we’re going to fill up the jails,” said James Woodall, president of the Georgia NAACP. “Because we’re going to shut it down.”
The 12-bill package, unveiled last week by members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, also includes a hate-crimes measure aimed at adding extra penalties for persons convicted of crimes committed based on a victim’s gender, race or other identifier. The measure, House Bill 426, has languished in the Senate for more than a year after the House passed it in March 2019.
House Speaker David Ralston noted that 465-day lag since his House colleagues passed the hate-crimes bill and called on the Senate to
A woman holds up her hand as people gather to protest against the mistreatment of black people and to let the legislatures know they want policy change, at the Georgia State Capitol on Monday, June 15, 2020, in Atlanta. The NAACP March to the Capitol Monday coincided with the restart of the Georgia 2020 General Assembly. act on it in the days remaining are not moving with all due praised the actions of protesters in this year’s session. haste as we see protesters in his backyard of
“If we leave here without on the street in front of us.” Gwinnett County and said passing a hate-crimes bill, it Sen. Lester Jackson, Dlawmakers should make use will be a stain on this state Savannah, pointed out Georof the current session to “take that we can never wash out,” gia is one of only five states substantive steps to eliminate said Ralston, R-blue Ridge. that does not have a hateracism in our culture.”
Senators seemed supportive crimes law on the books. He “We should collectively Monday of taking up the also noted the measure now stand up against racism,” speaker’s challenge. Several awaiting a vote in the Senate Martin said. “We should pass senators kicked off the restarted was brought by a Republican meaningful hate-crimes legislation session by urging lawmaker, Rep. Chuck this session.” swift passage of the hatecrimes Efstration, R-dacula, and Others threaded the needle measure. has gained more Republican more between passing the
While Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan support than have past hate-crimes bill and showing – who presides over the efforts to pass hate-crimes support for law enforcement Senate – has argued the bill legislation. officials in Georgia. Sen. Randy might benefit from more “It’s not just a black issue, Robertson, a retired major tweaking, others said too it’s not just a Democratic issue,” with the Muscogee County much tinkering could doom Jackson said. “It is a Sheriff’s Office, said police its chances in the race to wrap people’s issue. It is a Georgia officers face dangerous work up the session amid ongoing issue … It’s just the right environments and should not concerns over coronavirus. thing to do.” be universally condemned for
“Members of this Senate, Several Republicans agreed the actions of a few. it is time to act,” said Senate Monday that hate-crimes leg“The men and women of Minority Leader Steve islation should be passed in law enforcement, they do Henson, D-stone Mountain. the coming days. Sen. P.K. not hate,” said Robertson,
“There is no excuse why we Martin IV, R-lawrenceville, R-cataula. “Those who do, don’t make it.”
Others, including Sen. Jeff Mullis, dismissed recent calls from protesters to defund local police departments, saying people from other states should visit Georgia since business restrictions have been relaxed amid coronavirus and “because we respect the order of law.”
“So come on out there, in America, bring your business to Georgia if they’re going to un-fund your police department,” said Mullis, Rchickamauga. “We’re not gonna do that here.”
While Ralston strongly endorsed the hate-crimes bill, he said other portions of the Democrats’ package of criminal-justice reforms – including doing away with the citizen’s arrest law — will have to await a “broader conversation” he pledged to undertake after the legislative session.
The march outside the Capitol came days after Rayshard Brooks was shot dead by an Atlanta police officer during an altercation at a Wendy’s restaurant south of downtown Atlanta. It also comes amid nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd late last month in Minneapolis, and following arrests last month in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was gunned down by a white man near Brunswick.
During Monday’s demonstration, Lloyd Pierce, head coach of the NBA’S Atlanta Hawks, pressed for ending Georgia’s stand-your-ground law amid concerns over conflicts of interest involving Coastal Georgia investigators in the Arbery case.
“Our law enforcement can’t hold themselves accountable,” Pierce said. “So we need to repeal the stand your ground.”
Protesters also slammed state election officials and lawmakers for issues seen during last week’s primary election, when social distancing measures and inadequate training of poll workers on how to operate new voting machines led to long lines at polling places and mistrust in the voting process.
In the wake of the primary, Ralston has instructed the House Governmental Affairs Committee to conduct an independent investigation of the problems that occurred with last week’s voting.
“I’m not interested in finger-pointing,” the speaker said, referring to the backand-forth laying of blame Democrats and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger engaged in after the primary. “I’m interested in facts.”