Columbus community leaders and the Indiana Forward Coalition will have an event called Columbus Speaks:#NoListNoLaw at 3:30 p.m. Thursday calling on Indiana’s House of Representatives to restore the enumerated list of protected classes to Senate Bill 12.
Among the speakers will be Mark Osowick, Cummins vice president of human resources, Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, John Budd and Chris Raaf, both vice presidents with Columbus Regional Health, the Rev. Nic Cable, minister with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus and Mike Leppert, representing Indiana Forward.
The public is invited to the event at The Commons, 300 Washington St.
Indiana is one of only five states without bias crime legislation. Before the current legislative session began, Gov. Eric Holcomb made passing a hate crimes law a priority.
Last month, the Republican-led Senate amended a bias crime proposal, removing sexual orientation, gender identity, race and a list of other characteristics from the protected classes. Senate Bill 12 passed the Senate 39 to 10 and moved to the House for consideration and possible amendments.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
