Hatch, Feinstein bill would make threats against religions, worshipers federal crime
SALT LAKE CITY — Citing past persecution of early Mormons and recent bomb threats at Jewish community centers, Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday to strengthen protections for religious minorities.
The bill would expand criminal law to include threats to intentionally deface, damage or destroy any religious property or to threaten to obstruct — by force or threat of force — a person’s exercise of their religious beliefs. The current federal statute only makes attempts or actual damage to religious property or obstruction of freedom of worship a crime.
Hatch worked with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to draft the Protecting Religious Affiliated Institutions Act.
The Utah Republican said he is troubled by reports of increasing religious hate crimes, not only in the United States but throughout the world, including more than 100 bomb threats made at Jewish community centers across the country, and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis, Philadelphia and other cities.
Read more: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679054/Hatch-Feinstein-bill-would-make-threats-against-religions-worshippers-federal-crime.html
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