Indiana Senate Moves Toward Final Vote On Hate Crimes Bill

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Senate is moving toward a vote on legislation aimed at getting Indiana off a list of five states without a hate crimes law.

Senate Republicans decided privately Monday to put the bill up for a final concurrence vote as early as Tuesday.

If 26 senators approve the bill's new bias crimes language , it heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk.

That language would allow judges to impose longer sentences for crimes motivated by bias. It refers to Indiana's bias crimes reporting statute that mentions color, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion and sexual orientation, but doesn't explicitly cover age, sex or gender identity.

The bill says bias can also be considered due to the "victim's or the group's real or perceived characteristic, trait, belief, practice, association, or other attribute."