State lawmaker calls for strict hate crime laws

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Millions turned on their televisions Thursday morning and learned of a tragedy in Charleston. As State Rep. Greg Porter watched the story unfold, he realized he’d lost a colleague – someone he knew personally – the Rev. Clementa Pickney, who also served as a State Senator in South Carolina.

“What we saw was a member of our caucus being shot down and killed,” Porter said.

Officials said the gunman admits he killed nine people in an effort to start a race war. A federal hate crime investigation is underway, but South Carolina lacks a state hate crime law. Critics say South Carolina needs such a law, and Porter said the same thing is needed in Indiana.

“Biased crimes are acts of terror and it doesn’t just affect just one individual, it affects the entire community,” Porter said.

Opponents say there is no need for a bill like Porter’s since there is already a federal hate crime law. Years ago, Indiana lawmakers did pass a bill that requires police to keep and report records of hate crimes.

There is also a state law that says that if certain establishments refuse service to someone based on their skin color, it could result in a misdemeanor charge.

Porter wrote a bill that would create stricter penalties for hate crimes, but lawmakers didn’t hear it this year.

According to Indiana State Police, 44 hate crimes were reported in Indiana last year. The data shows 492 hate crimes were reported from 2007 to 2014. More than 45 percent of those were anti-black crimes.

“Our goal is to give the judge the discretion if it’s a hate crime or not,” Porter said.

The shooter in Charleston has been charged with nine counts of murder.