By Emily Ketterer| The Statehouse File
For The Republic
INDIANAPOLIS — Senate Republicans stripped the list of characteristics from a hate crime bill, after delaying the session for hours and then calling a break right before the vote to talk about it behind closed doors. The amendment passed 33-16 Tuesday with a handful of Republicans joining all Democrats in voting no after emotional pleas from three Democratic senators asking them to reject the changes. Not a single Republican spoke on the Senate floor against it.
Among the 33 voting for the amendment to strip the list of characteristics was State Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, State Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, and State Sen. Chip Perfect, R-Lawrenceburg.
Gov. Eric Holcomb released a statement shortly after the vote, saying the version of the bill that passed in the Senate will not get Indiana off the list of five states without a hate crime law. “We have a long way to go, a lot of work to do, and fortunately the time yet still to do it,” he said in the statement. “I will continue to fight for the right ultimate outcome for our state and citizens this year so we’re not right back here in the same place next year.”
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
