The Georgia Senate passed a new hate crime bill today (June 23) by a vote of 47-6.
Since the death of Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020, the Black man whose death in Brunswick, Georgia came after two white men cornered him with a pickup truck and shot him after an abrupt argument, pressure has been put upon Georgia state legislators to create a law around hate crimes.
RELATED: Ahmaud Arbery Shooting Video Spurs Calls For Hate Crime Law In Georgia
Republican State Senator Bill Heath spoke against the bill tweeting that he was worried pastors who preach based on scripture against gay marriage could be held liable under this new criteria for hate crimes.
This has been a long time coming as Georgia lawmakers have tried to get a hate crimes bill passed for years.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia is one of five states in the country that did not have a law that has harsher penalties for people who commit crimes based on race, sexual orientation, religion or disability.
