Federal hate crimes legislation passes U.S.House

The federal hate crimes act passed the U.S. House Thursday by a vote of 281-146 and goes to a final ratification by the U.S. Senate early next week. October 12 will be the 10th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, for whom the act is named.

From The New York Times:

The hate-crime provision had passed both the House and Senate in previous years as a separate bill, but the bill could never clear its final hurdles. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was fitting that Congress was acting now because Monday is the 11th anniversary of Mr. Shepard’s death. The legislation is known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, for Mr. Shephard and a black man who was killed in a race-based attack in Texas the same year.

“When I came to Congress 22 years ago, hate-crimes legislation was one of the items on my agenda,” Ms. Pelosi said.

The hate-crimes legislation allocates $5 million a year to the Justice Department to provide assistance to local communities in investigating such crimes, a process that can sometimes strain local police resources. It allows the Justice Department to assist in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes if asked to do so by local authorities.

Of course, now the Republicans are claiming the hate crimes bill is unconstitutional if Obama signs the DOD Authorization into law next week, as expected. I guess they are hoping the Roberts court will revisit the unanimous precedent set in Wisconsin v. Mitchell in 1993? Bring. It. On.