COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A bipartisan bill in the Ohio Statehouse seeks to enhance the penalties for hate crimes and expand protections under the law to include more identity markers such as political affiliation and sex.
Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) introduced House Bill 306, dubbed the Hate Crime Act, in May. The bill would “modernize” Ohio’s approach to hate crimes, Jarrells said.
“Hate should have no place in the state,” Jarrells said. “Our current statutes against what other states have passed are fairly weak.”…