CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Lawmakers in Wyoming, where gay college student Matthew Shepard was killed more than 20 years ago, once again decided not to adopt a hate crime law.
Wyoming is one of only three states that have not enacted hate crime legislation since Shepard was beaten and left to die in Laramie in 1998. The murder of the University of Wyoming student inspired these laws in other states and at the federal level.
A measure introduced on Thursday by the Wyoming House Judiciary Committee would have allowed prosecutors to consider a criminal’s prejudices against race, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity or disability when seeking punishment for crimes.
Legislation sponsored by Republican Representative Pat Sweeney de Casper would also have provided anti-prejudice training for police officers to help them identify and respond to hate crimes.
Most public testimony on Thursday was in support of the project, reported the Casper Star-Tribune. Others said the project went too far or not enough to discourage hate crimes.
Arkansas and South Carolina are considering hate crime legislation this year, although lawmakers removed protections for gay or transgender people from the South Carolina bill on Thursday.
Several previous attempts in Wyoming to enact a hate crime law have failed.
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