Kansas state Sen. David Haley says the recent shooting of two Indian men in Olathe should give new urgency to his bill that would double penalties for offenses deemed to be hate crimes.
“I would hope that it does," Haley says. "I would hope that regrettably the tragedies that are occurring, in a whole and hopefully more perfect society that this would give a better shot for this bill to be adopted.”
Haley has pushed unsuccessfully for similar legislation in the past, and he filed this year’s version before Srinivas Kuchibotla was killed and Alok Madasani was injured in the Olathe incident now being investigated as a hate crime.
There was little opposition to the concept of Haley’s bill at a hearing on Wednesday. But some groups, including the ACLU, say it needs to be rewritten to protect free speech rights.