GA lawmakers renew push for state hate crime legislation after Ahmaud Arbery shooting
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
WAYNESBORO, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- Flanked by the grave of a 25-year-old man who was killed in Brunswick almost two months ago, Rep. Gloria Frazier is pressing for action on a statewide hate crime bill.
Georgia is one of four states without a law on the books for crimes based on race or creed.
Rep. Gloria Frazier stood near the grave of Ahmaud Arbery on Tuesday afternoon to ask the General Assembly and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan to debate and vote on HB 426.
The bill, which was introduced last year, ed the House of Representatives by a vote of 96 to 64. It was immediately taken to the Senate, where there has been no action on the bill.
Frazier is also pushing for legislators to rename the bill to the Ahmaud Arbery Hate Crime Bill.
Two men, Gregory and Travis McMichael, have been charged with aggravated assault and murder in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, in Brunswick, fellow legislator Rep. James Beverly held a simultaneous news conference to also call for the removal of two district attorneys who ed on prosecuting the McMichaels and the end of the citizens' arrest law.
"So although that day marks an infamous day in human history, let us be clear that enough is enough and that day marks a new beginning for America," Beverly said.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, is seeking that new beginning.
“Ahmaud didn’t deserve to go the way he went. He didn’t deserve that," Jones said. "It was hard, 'cause like I shared earlier, I had Ahmaud on Mother’s Day back in 1994, so it was hard. It was kind of hard for me.”
The site of his burial triggered grief and pain. But state officials want it be a symbol of an ache for change
A weight, for them, that won’t hold nearly a much as Ahmaud’s death.
“I watched it. I wish I had not watched it. I haven’t been able to sleep. But I did watch it. I had to see his last moment," Debby Dixon, Arbery's aunt, said.
There have been serval attempts since 2004 for hate crime bills to hang in committee, only later to be dropped. Officials today are hoping the case of Arbery is enough to make this time around successful. They asked the community to call Senate today.
Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp was asked about the push Tuesday afternoon during a news conference.
"Anything legislatively, we continue to look forward to working with the General Assembly on whatever that is," Kemp said. "There's all kinds of bills that are out there in play right now hate crimes legislation being one of them. I know that the lieutenant governor and speaker have both been talking about that and we look forward to working with them on all things legislative on June 11."
Frazier urges the community to call leaders to approve the bill when the senate reconvenes on June 11.
The Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan
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Georgia Senator for District 23 Jesse Stone:
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