Georgia is one of five states without a hate crimes law on the books; however, legislation proposed last week could change that. 

Sponsored by State Rep. Chuck Efstration, a Gwinnett Republican, House Bill 426 would introduce enhanced penalties for hate crimes if signed into law. According to the most recent data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 27 such crimes were reported in 2017. 

"On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott speaks with Meagan Hanson and Rachel Glickhouse.

A similar bill didn’t make it out of committee last year, despite wide support from law enforcement. We spoke with that bill's sponsor, former State Rep. Meagan Hanson, about why that legislation was a priority for her. Rachel Glickhouse, partner manager for ProPublica's Documenting Hate project, also joined the conversation.

 

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Tags: meagan hanson  chuck efstration  house bill 426  Hate Crimes Law  Hate Crimes