City leaders call for state to pass hate crimes bill

The mayor and City Council in Doraville on Monday called on the Georgia General Assembly to pass a bill the would impose additional penalties for hate crimes.

“Failing to protect the vul- nerable populations in our State and society in general is not appropriate or viable,” the city’s resolution states. It was passed unanimously.

Legislation being consid- ered under the Gold Dome would impose additional penalties on crimes proven to have been motivated by bias.

Georgia is one of four states in the country without such a measure after a previous law was declared unconstitutional in 2004. Last year, the Georgia House narrowly passed a version of the measure, House Bill 426, that was bottled up in a Senate committee. Doraville’s resolution mentions Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who “was pursued and shot dead by a group of white men while jogging in Brunswick” in February.

Officials in the northern DeKalb County city called on state lawmakers to “immediately adopt a broad and comprehensive hate crimes act” when they return to the legislative session next week.

Sponsored by state Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula,

HB 426 would allow stiffer sentences for anyone con- victed of targeting a victim based on race, color, reli- gion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, mental disability or physical disability.

Doraville’s resolution states it is “disappointing” gender identity is not specif- ically referenced in the bill, but the city officials hope that category of people will still be protected under “gender.”