Community, business and religious leaders called on state lawmakers to strengthen a pending bias crimes bill by restoring a list of specific protections that were removed by the Indiana Senate last month.
Representatives from Cummins Inc., Columbus Regional Health, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, as well as Mayor Jim Lienhoop and a wide range of advocates spoke at the Thursday afternoon event, which drew over 100 people at the Commons in downtown Columbus.
The speakers emphasized that the bill’s current language would be unenforceable and make it harder to recruit and retain top talent in Indiana.
“I’m here to urge that the Indiana House of Representatives fixes Senate Bill 12 by adding protected classes, known as the list, back into the bill,” said Mark Osowick, vice president of human resources at Cummins. “We were extremely disappointed when the Senate voted to remove the enumerated characteristics from the bill, but we’re also very helpful that the House will strengthen the bill and pass comprehensive biased crimes legislation.”
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
