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A proposed bill seeks to strengthen Kentucky's hate crime law

As it stands, crimes such as murder, manslaughter, and reckless homicide that are motivated because of someone's race, color, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or employment are not included in the state's hate crime law.

LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) – An interim join committee on judiciary met Friday morning to discuss the state of the judicial system.

The biggest discussion that arose surrounded Kentucky's hate crime law. After a man shot and killed two people at a Kroger in Jeffersontown on Oct. 24, many have wondered why it wasn't quickly labeled as a hate crime.

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In part, it is due to Kentucky's existing hate crime laws. As it stands, crimes such as murder, manslaughter, and reckless homicide that are motivated because of someone's race, color, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or employment are not included in the state's hate crime law.

That's why Rep. Jason Nemes and Rep. Jerry Miller presented a proposed bill they're co-sponsoring to change what is considered a hate crime.

"The question before us is not whether or not we ought to have hate crimes, because we already do. The question presented by this bill is whether we ought to include murder in the hate crime statue that we already have," said Nemes.

Nemes recounted the details of the Kroger shooting, saying it was clear the shooter was targeting the victims "because they were black."

"This was not just a crime against those individuals," Nemes said. "This is a crime against our community, against the commonwealth, against all of us. But especially those in the group that was targeted."

Nemes and Miller were joined during the testimony by Jeffersontown Mayer Bill Dieruf. Both he and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer support the proposed bill to change the state's hate crime statue.

"If this person had gotten into the church it would've been a hate crime. Just because they went down the street half a mile and committed the same crime, it needs to be changed," Dieruf said.

He said Jeffersontown is a tight, knit community that doesn't see race. He favors changing the hate crime law as way to "send a message to the people that this will not be accepted."

"We need to send a message to those who commit these crimes, this as a society is not accepted and we will make sure you are prosecuted to the maximum amount and that you stay where you need to stay after the event," he said.

Dieruf emphasized even though the man suspected of the Kroger shooting can't be convicted and charged with a hate crime, he will still be penalized ot the maximum capacity.

"Unfortunately, at this point in time we can't change the situation of state law for this person. we can change it for the next person," Dieruf said. "We are going full board to make sure that this hate crime does not happen again in our community or in the state."

►Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.

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