Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statement praising Governor Gretchen Whitmer on the signing of House Bills 5400-5401, sponsored by state Representatives Noah Arbit and Kristian Grant.
“Our state’s previous hate crime laws were inadequate to deter and properly prosecute those that target Michigan residents with fear and hatred, simply for who they are. Hate Crimes are intended to send a message, an inherently violent message of intolerance, to vulnerable communities. At the Department of Attorney General, and particularly in our Hate Crimes unit, we know that stronger laws such as these can help us better protect Michigan residents from the scourge of hatred in our state.
“Over the past decade, we have seen not just an uptick in hate crimes, but a normalization of racist, antisemitic and bigoted language, symbolism and actions - including a close adviser to the President giving the Nazi salute during an inaugural rally just this week. It’s incumbent upon those of us with the authority to unilaterally denounce such sentiments; otherwise, there’s no stopping this behavior.
“I applaud the Governor for signing these long overdue changes to the state’s statutes.”
If you are a victim of a hate crime or have credible information about a hate crime, please contact your local police department first and then the Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit at the Department of Attorney General via email or at 313-456-0180. The Department of Attorney General will follow up on every credible tip, will launch independent investigations when sufficient cause exists, and will offer departmental resources to assist our law enforcement partners.
Original source can be found here.