Illinois Governor Signs Hate Crime Bills
| AR Articles on Anti-Discrimination Law |
|---|
| The Law is an Ass (Sep. 1999) |
| The Nightmare World of Anti-Discrimination Law (May 1992) |
| Obstreperous Whites (May 1993) |
| Who Wants to be a Black Millionaire? (Feb. 2001) |
| Search AmRen.com for Anti-discrimination Law |
| More news stories on Anti-Discrimination Law |
CHICAGO—Illinois has two new hate crimes laws intended to protect minorities, the elderly and other groups from housing discrimination and harassment.
Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the two measures into law Sunday, making housing discrimination against protected groups a civil rights violation. The law makes firing an employee who rents housing to a minority a violation.
Using threats, coercion, intimidation or racial slurs to prevent someone from getting housing also is a hate crime.
The second bill extends hate crime legislation to using electronic communication to harass someone because of his or her race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex or sexual orientation or physical or mental disability.
“A hate crime is a hate crime in any way, shape, or form. Every person has the right to dignity under the law,” said Blagojevich.
(Posted on June 28, 2005)