After the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, state Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong) said he will introduce legislation to classify political violence as a hate crime.
Steinhardt said the bill would increase the minimum penalties for crimes deemed politically motivated. The Wednesday assassination of Kirk, a leading figure for the country’s conservative youth, is the latest act in a “dangerous pattern” of political violence that has affected Republicans and Democrats alike, Steinhardt said.
“This political hate crime bill protects everyone—Conservative, Liberal, and Independent,” Steinhardt said. “No person should fear hate-fueled political violence for expressing their opinion, and anyone who resorts to such violence to silence that opinion will suffer the full weight of the law. Hate-fueled political violence hurts everyone and erodes the very principles on which our Republic was built.”
Steinhardt, who did not release the text of the bill, said he will introduce the legislation when the Senate comes back in the fall.
In addition to the killing of Kirk, Steinhardt pointed to assassination attempts against President Donald Trump; the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband (as well as the shooting of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife); an arson attack at the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh; and the 2017 shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise and others at a practice for the congressional baseball game.
The senator said Sussex County Commissioner Director Chris Carney helped develop the bill.
“This law isn’t about silencing speech—it’s about allowing the free exercise of it without fear of violence or criminal retaliation,” Steinhardt said. “Whatever your background, vocation, or view, violence to silence political speech—or speakers—is something we cannot accept.”
The assassination of Hortman — a state legislative counterpart to the lawmakers of New Jersey — struck a nerve in the halls of Trenton’s statehouse earlier this summer. Attorney General Matt Platkin increased security for state officials in the immediate aftermath of the Minnesota shootings, and legislators mourned during hearings.
The commission that manages the statehouse complex has weighed banning the public from parking in the garage underneath the complex, citing security concerns. Advocates have expressed worries that the change would make the Statehouse less accessible to citizens who hope to participate in the lawmaking process.
State leaders disavowed the killing of Kirk in statements on Wednesday.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk during an event on a college campus is abhorrent,” Gov. Phil Murphy wrote. “Political violence has no place in our nation. Tammy and I are sending our prayers to Charlie’s family and loved ones.”
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