11 Apr Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Pass Senate Bill 171 Addressing Hate Crimes Laws in Nevada During Committee Work Session

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2023

Contact: Will Pregman, wpregman@battlebornprogress.org, 702.752.0656

Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Pass Senate Bill 171 Addressing Hate Crimes Laws in Nevada During Committee Work Session

Advocates Celebrate the Passage of SB171 in the Senate Judiciary Committee and Call out Senator Hansen for Insensitive, Disgraceful Comments This Week

CARSON CITY, NV – Today, the Senate Committee on Judiciary held a work session on Senate Bill 171 (SB171), to prohibit the owning, purchasing, or possessing a firearm upon conviction of a hate crime for 10 years. Legislators voted 5 to 3 to pass the bill with Sen. Hansen, Sen. Krasner, and Sen. Stone voting no. SB171 will move to the Senate Floor next.

Annette Magnus, Executive Director, of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“We thank the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing Senate Bill 171 (SB171) out of committee today and Senator Dallas Harris for bringing this legislation forth. This bill will update current Nevada hate crime laws and make our communities safer. It is our honor to work with Senator Harris as she moves this bill forward and we thank her for her continued support on this critical issue. Current law does not prohibit the possession of a firearm after conviction of a gross misdemeanor hate crime or a lower-level misdemeanor hate crime. This is a glaring hole within our current laws. Any individual who is motivated by hatred toward another group or individual should not be able to purchase or possess a firearm for a period of time after conviction. As we see rising hate crimes across the country motivated by race, sexuality, and gender, SB171 is a reminder that we have work to do to ensure people in our community are safe and protected.  We want to additionally thank all of the survivors and partners who have worked on getting this bill to this stage. Our work does not stop here and we look forward to the Senate Floor passing SB171 in the coming days.”

“Sadly, the passage of SB171 was not the only news that we need to pay attention to this week. During a hearing on Wednesday, April 5th, Senator Ira Hansen made bizarre, racist comments, pinning gun violence on ‘Black inner-city kids who are involved in gang shootings.’ He later falsely claimed during the Senate Floor Session on Monday, April 10th that the joint hearing on Thursday, where SB171 was heard was a “disgrace” and a “sham.”

“These remarks demonstrate the need for what Senator Dallas Harris is trying to accomplish. SB171 is a critical piece of legislation that addresses some of the worst crimes in Nevada against some of the most vulnerable populations. Saying gun violence is exclusively the fault of Black ‘inner-city’ kids is not only false but a disgraceful, racist trope, especially when said in the context of legislation designed to protect vulnerable communities, including Black and African American communities targeted based on their race.”

“Gun violence, while it disproportionately impacts people of color, is not a problem for just inner-city kids. In fact, gun violence is the leading cause of death for all our children. Gun deaths among children and teens have risen by 50% in the last two years. Suicides made up 54% of all gun-related deaths in 2020. The fact is gun violence impacts all of us regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or economic position. Each person sees the constant mass shootings and school shootings which have increased substantially over the past few years.”

“Senator Hansen made his intentions clear: he does not understand that these critical bills promote the safety and well-being of Nevadans. This is not surprising given Hansen’s previous writings in the Sparks Tribune about Democrats having a ‘master-slave’ relationship with ‘darkies.’ He hasn’t learned anything, and it’s sickening.”

“It’s a shame that the Senator was present during the five hours long hearing and did not listen to the stories of gun violence survivors, advocates, and community groups and that he voted no on SB171 today. With only 57 days until sine die, we hope that Senator Hansen upholds his duty as an elected official, to get serious about policy proposals to end gun violence, particularly targeted at young people, and puts aside his personal biases for the sake of Nevada’s children, families, and law enforcement. We again commend and celebrate Chair Scheible and Senator Harris for prioritizing gun violence prevention with the committee passage of SB171 today.”

Brady President Kris Brown stated:

“Today’s vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass Senate Bill 171 (SB-171) is a significant step towards closing a dangerous loophole that allows individuals convicted of hate crimes to possess firearms, while also preventing gun violence in Nevada. We commend Sen. Harris for her leadership in championing this critical legislation, which will help make Nevada communities safer.”

“This critical first step is a testament to the tireless efforts of advocates and survivors working towards creating a more just and equitable society. We stand in solidarity with Battle Born Progress, Giffords, Everytown, and all the advocates instrumental in passing this bill. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to work with legislators and advocates to create safer communities for all.”

Agustin Cabrera, Giffords State Legislative Manager stated:

“We are grateful to the Nevada Senate Judiciary for advancing this lifesaving piece of legislation. SB171 will ensure that all Nevadans can feel safe in their communities by keeping firearms out of the hands of those at risk of harming others. We thank Senator Dallas Harris for introducing this bill, and the Senate Judiciary Committee for taking swift action. The Nevada Senate has worked to prioritize gun safety legislation and we look forward to continuing our work with them, state partners, and advocates to ensure that this gets over the finish line.”

“This issue is simple – those convicted of a hate crime shouldn’t have access to a firearm,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Senior Vice President of Movement Building at Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action. “Every community should be safe from the threat of gun violence, and we must do more to protect families and communities most likely to be impacted. The goal of this bill is to save lives and we thank our gun sense lawmakers for their leadership and swift action on advancing this important measure. Our grassroots army is ready to continue working with lawmakers to turn this bill into law and engage with leaders at all levels to protect Nevada families.”

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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages, and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://battlebornprogress.org/.