MD Legislators Sponsor Bill to Give Officers Hate Crime Protections

Two Anne Arundel (MD) County lawmakers want to add crimes against law enforcement officers to the list of hate crimes prosecuted by the state.

A House of Delegates committee on Tuesday was expected to hear testimony on legislation sponsored by Sen. Bryan Simonaire and Del. Meagan Simonaire, Republicans from Pasadena who argue the state's police and corrections officers should have another layer of protection under the law, the Baltimore Sun reports.

"Brave men and women are being targeted simply because they wear the blue uniform," Sen. Simonaire, Del. Simonaire's father, said in a statement about the bill. "If Maryland provides protection against hate crimes on our homeless, I wholeheartedly believe our targeted police deserve the same protections."