MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press writer | Posted: Friday, September 28, 2007 12:00 am
WASHINGTON - Wyoming's two senators objected Thursday to legislation that would help states prosecute attacks on homosexuals, saying new law is not necessary and all crimes are so-called "hate crimes."
The legislation, which the Senate voted to attach to a defense bill, is named for Matthew Shepard, a gay college freshman who was beaten into a coma in 1998 in Laramie. He died a few days later.
The Senate approved an amendment attaching the hate-crimes legislation to a wide-ranging defense bill by voice vote Thursday. Wyoming's two Republican senators, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, voted against moving forward with the legislation.
Barrasso, who succeeded the late Sen. Craig Thomas earlier this year, and Enzi have consistently objected to hate-crimes legislation, saying that all victims should be treated equally. Both said they opposed combining the legislation with bill that authorizes military spending.
"(Democrats are) in charge of getting critical bills through, yet they are delaying passage of these bills by trying to empty their outbox full of controversial issues," Enzi said.
Barrasso said that victims suffer no matter what the motivation is for a crime.
"Criminal offenses such as these should be treated and prosecuted in an impartial manner," he said. "Congress should focus on creating laws that protect all Americans equally and justly."
Under current federal law, hate crimes apply to acts of violence against individuals on the basis of race, religion, color or national origin. The bill would extend the hate crimes category to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability and give federal authorities greater leeway to participate in hate crime investigations.