Kentucky House Passes A #BlueLivesMatter Bill That Would Make Targeting Police A Hate Crime
This Monday, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill that would make targeting police and other first responders a hate crime.
House Bill 14 — a.k.a. the "Blue Lives Matter" bill — is now heading to the state Senate after passing 77-13. If the bill is approved, Kentucky will become the second state to enact such a law; Louisiana did so last year.
Though HB-14 received bipartisan support, according to the Courier-Journal, some representatives denounced it as redundant and claimed it only deepened the divide between police and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Rep. Jim Wayne (D-Louisville) called the bill unnecessary, since current laws already allow harsher sentences for crimes committed against police, and said it's merely a response to Black Lives Matter.
"I strongly reject this type of legislation that pits one group against the other," Wayne said.
Wayne also said the purpose of a "hate crime" law is to protect individuals that have been oppressed because of their "birth or beliefs" — not necessarily because of their job.
Kentucky's current hate-crime law protects people based on their race, color, religion, sexual orientation, and nation of origin.
Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (D-Louisville) also said she doubted the bill's effectiveness.
“(HB-14) does nothing except to pander, and to pretend like we’re doing something for our first responders," she said.
But supporters of the bill claim the legislation will provide police officers with the protection they deserve—and that its nickname is misleading.
"It’s not about Blue Lives Matter," said Rep. John Blanton (R-Salyersville), adding that firefighters wear red uniforms. "How about we call this 'First Responders Matter?' "
Blanton also said he believed that someone's identity as a police officer should be treated the same way as someone's race or sexual orientation.
"You don’t just take the uniform off and lay it down," Blanton said. "It’s part of who you are."
