Sarah Mueller
The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that condemns white nationalism and white supremacy.
The legislation (SR 214), sponsored by Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, advanced out of the chamber with no debate and without opposition.
House Speaker Jose Oliva has expressed support for the measure, which has no legal force of law. He has said he’s confident his chamber would take up the bill.
“It sounds like condemning white nationalism and white supremacy is pretty easy,” he said.
The House companion (HR 51), sponsored by Rep. Anna Eskamani was never heard in its first committee, the Criminal Justice Subcommittee chaired by Republican Rep. Jamie Grant.
The language singling out white nationalism and white supremacy for condemnation drew some controversy in the Senate.
Rodriguez fought to keep the language condemning white nationalism and white supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance after he filed the resolution last September.
Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee, chaired by Republican Tom Lee, passed a committee substitute earlier this year removing the condemnation of white supremacy. The new language instead rejected any ideology or philosophy that advocates the superiority of one of group of people over another because of race, color, national origin, sex or religion as hateful, dangerous and morally corrupt expressions of intolerance.
Rodriguez objected, saying Lee’s committee substitute created a false equivalency between hate and inclusion, similar to President Donald Trump saying after Charlottesville that there were “very fine people on both sides.”
Rodriguez was able to reinstate the language he wanted while it passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The legislation was prompted in part by the August 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas where a gunman is believed to have posted a racist, anti-immigrant screed online before allegedly killing 22 people and wounding 26 others. It was also prompted in part by the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia Unite the Right rally where a white supremacist killed a counter-protester.
2 comments
Billy seber Trump
March 5, 2020 at 12:49 pm
What about the Muslim “Omar Marteen” who killed 53 people in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub? Why is Muslim Supremacy not included in this resolution. Or Black Lives Matter, who have said they want to kill police officers, or ANTIFA, who have beed deemed a terrorist organization by the US Government. or the Black Hebrew Israelites, who killed 3 and a police officer at a Jewish Kosher supermarket in New Jersey last year? Why not just say All people or groups who espouse superiority over another,,,,, but , no, they want to label and condemn white people. White people, especially white men are under attack. We will remember come the next time all these politicians who support this run for office again. This can be expected from Democrats, but, white republicans with WHITE GUILT ARE THE WORST!!
John K
March 6, 2020 at 10:11 am
Lee’s language was most appropriate… why must everyone be so divisive? Reread what he proposed… the new language instead rejected any ideology or philosophy that advocates the superiority of one of group of people over another because of race, color, national origin, sex or religion as hateful, dangerous and morally corrupt expressions of intolerance.
Plus it was good enough for Pelosi when Omar misbehaved.
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