Government

Senate amendment would add LGBT to state hate crime law

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By CAITLIN TAYLOR
Capital News Service
LANSING — Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, said he has felt compelled to include sexual orientation and gender identification in Michigan’s hate crime law since 2015, when eight gay men, including a friend of his, were targeted in Lansing. “Two thugs found out eight different men were gay by going onto computer dating sites,” Jones said. “They beat these men bloody, tied and chained them up and robbed them. When they were captured, they made a confession to the police department that they hated gays and hope they die.”
A year later, Sen. Steven Bieda, D-Warren, introduced an amendment to Michigan’s hate crime law — cosponsored by Jones — to include additional penalties for crimes motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation and gender identification. It never got a hearing.

Public Safety

Hate crime numbers jump, most based on race, religion, sexual orientation

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By SILU GUO
Capital News Service
LANSING – Last November in Bay City, Delane Bell shouted “Osama bin Laden” and “jihad” at two men of Indian descent outside a bar, punched one of them and struck their car. Bell was convicted of ethnic intimidation. It was only one among a growing number of recent hate crime cases reported in the state. According to the State Police, 403 hate crimes incidents were reported last year, an 8 percent increase compared with 2010. Those incidents involved 487 victims. Most were assaults, intimidation, stalking and property damage.