OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to sign a bill Monday that clarifies the definition of hate crime offenses in the state.
EHB 1052, passed by the legislature on April 18, specifies that a person is guilty of a hate crime if they commit certain acts based on their perception of another person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical or sensory disability.
These acts include assault, property damage or making threats that cause a reasonable person to fear harm.
Under the new legislation, specific actions such as burning a cross, defacing property with Nazi symbols or placing a noose on someone’s property can be used to infer intent in hate crime prosecutions.
However, words alone do not constitute a hate crime unless they clearly indicate a threat, language in the bill said.
The bill also clarifies that it is not a defense to claim a mistaken belief about the victim’s identity in hate crime cases. Additionally, the penalties for hate crimes do not prevent victims from seeking other legal remedies.
According to the State House report, the bill is necessary to ensure fairness and accountability in hate crime cases by helping jurors better understand the motives behind hate crimes.
Opponents, however, argued in the report that the bill infringes on freedom of thought and could lead to unjust assumptions about defendants’ motives.
