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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jeff Billington |
Congresswoman Richardson Applauds the Passage and Presidential Approval of the Long-Overdue Hate Crimes Prevention Act |
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WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Laura Richardson applauded the 111th Congress for passing and President Barack Obama for signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which she co-sponsored and voted for when it was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on October 8, 2009 as part of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act. “This legislation, which was first introduced in Congress a decade ago, is a proud step forward for our nation in strengthening the dignity and personal rights of all Americans,” Congresswoman Richardson said. “It is a matter of simple justice, one that says violence against people based on individual variations like race, gender, sexual orientation, military status and religion will not be tolerated. As representative for the exceptionally diverse 37th Congressional District, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act is especially important to me in that it will improve the safety of so many of the people I represent. From our LGBT community to our historic African American and Hispanic neighborhoods, this law improves the protection of all of us against senseless violence based on bias and hate.” The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is named for Matthew Shepard, a 19-year-old gay man from Wyoming who was beaten and left for dead, and James Byrd, Jr., a 49-year-old African American man from Texas who was beaten and dragged behind a truck until he was dead.
Congresswoman Richardson is a Democrat from California’s 37th Congressional District. She is a member of the House Committees on Transportation & Infrastructure and Homeland Security. Her district includes Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Watts, Willowbrook and Signal Hill.
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