HB1066 establishes the Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention to “develop strategies to prevent and respond to hate crime activity” and “evaluate State laws and policies.”
The House passed HB1066 on March 31, 2023, by a vote of 106 to 31. We have assigned pluses to the nays because “hate crime” legislation is a farce being promoted by those who falsely believe it is the duty of government to right every wrong. This concept is not only impossible, but dangerous in a free society. Since not all “hate” is or can be made criminal (e.g., anger, envy, or lust), the legitimate powers of government extend only to acts that are injurious to others (e.g., murder, theft, or rape). In other words, civil authorities have a dual role of both securing the right to life, liberty, and property for each person and punishing anyone who deprives it, regardless of the perpetrator’s motivations or the victim’s sex, race, religion, etc. The power to arrest, prosecute, or retry a person based on allegations of a “hate crime”—which is a misnomer for government thought control—is not one that should be granted to any State agency or court system. Regardless of how unpopular, elusive, or detestable someone or their ideas may be, the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment provide for an “impartial jury,” prevent double jeopardy, and guarantee “due process” with “equal protection of the laws.”