Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House rejects bill to criminalize cross burning on others’ property after debate over redundancy and constitutionality
Summary
House Bill 246, prompted by elementary school students and designed to prohibit cross burnings on highways and public places, was amended to include the American flag but failed in final vote (22‑51). Critics said existing hate‑crime statute already covers these acts.
Representative Hansen introduced House Bill 246 after students in a fifth‑grade civics class asked the Legislature to act. The bill would have made it a third‑degree felony to burn a cross (and, after amendment, an American flag) on the property of another or on public property if done with the intent to intimidate.
Sponsor Hansen framed the bill as protecting diverse communities from intimidation, reading letters from students who said they did not want to live in fear. Early on, Representative Phil Pott and others…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
