Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune SB 103 sponsored by Daniel Thatcher, R- West Valley City, Utah’s current hate crimes bill, moved ahead in the Senate on Monday with a preliminary 19-9 vote. Thatcher’s bill would allow judges to increase penalties for a crime if a defendant is convicted of targeting someone based on ancestry, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation. A person must first be convicted of a crime before additional penalties would apply. Under the state’s current hate crimes law, only misdemeanor assaults can be enhanced as hate crimes. This update would also enable enhancements for felonies.
Taylor covers Utah politics and government for The Tribune, where she has worked since January 2017. A Salt Lake native and Westminster College alumna, Taylor first joined The Tribune team as an intern on a single day’s notice.