After swastikas on park trees and temple, mayor introduces new proposed crime to outlaw intimidation
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has proposed a new city ordinance that would create a city hate crime meant to outlaw offenses committed to intimidate someone.
"By adding this additional tool, we hope to demonstrate that hate has no home in Lincoln, and that every resident belongs here," Gaylor Baird said.
Announcing the ordinance, the mayor condemned bigoted acts that occurred in the city recently, including Wilderness Park vandalism earlier this week, the targeted anti-Semitic graffiti on a Lincoln synagogue in January and reports of bias against Asian- American residents resulting from false assumptions about coronavirus.
Her administration's hate-intimidation ordinance would make the commission of an already outlawed offense an additional crime if the perpetrator meant to intimidate someone based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, physical or mental disability, national origin, age, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of the other person or persons.
Read more: https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/after-swastikas-on-park-trees-and-temple-mayor-introduces-new-proposed-crime-to-outlaw-intimidation/article_261ac0d8-abd0-5a4c-aa4d-eaf19c15b5f3.html
(Lincoln Journal Star)