House backs hate crime measure protecting gays

[AlinPA]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050914/pl_nm/rights_gays_congress_dc

[jsamuel]

1. yep, Great News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday unexpectedly backed a measure to expand federal hate crime protection to gay people, a measure that House conservatives had blocked for years.

The Senate has passed similar legislation, which also expanded protections for the disabled, several times in recent years but House conservatives had argued that these cases should be dealt with on a local or state level without additional federal intervention.

This time the hate crime measure was attached to a bipartisan bill known as the Children's Safety Act aimed at tightening reporting requirements for child sex offenders. Companion legislation has not yet moved through the Senate, so the ultimate fate of the gay protection provision is uncertain.

Still backers were jubilant.

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[belle]

2. Wow! That is a surprise. nice to have a pleasant one for once.

[msongs]

3. repubs will add something no decent person would support just to

counter balance their sudden niceness, thus forcing dems to vote against the alleged child safety legislation.

republicans will do anything to get what they want.

Msongs
www.msongs.com

[ruggerson]

4. Hope the Senate passes it so the country can see Bush veto it