April 30, 2009 06:56 AM UTC

Markey, Polis Speak Out For Federal Hate Crimes Legislation

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• by: Alan

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

(Cross-posted from Michael Ditto’s blog at ProgressNow Colorado)

Editor’s note: the roll-call vote shows that GOP Rep. Mike Coffman did in fact vote for the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We regret the error and thank Rep. Coffman for his support.

By a vote of 249 to 175, the House of Representatives just passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. All of Colorado’s Democratic representatives voted for the bill.

Watch Representative Polis speak during the debate, it’s very good:

Watch Representative Markey speak in favor of the bill (she rocks!)

Both Senator Udall and Congressman Polis wrote excellent op-eds in favor of the bill:

Sen. Udall: We need federal hate crime legislation

Jared Polis: Greeley trial puts focus on hate crimes

Of course the debate was not without its outrages. Here’s Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) calling Matthew Shepard’s burital hate murder a “hoax”: