>> CATHY: HATE CRIMES LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY HAVE RISEN IN RECENT YEARS.

AND FOR A WHILE NOW, THERE'S THE SENSE THAT MINNESOTA'S HATE CRIME LAW NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED.

REPRESENTATIVE SAMANTHA VANG IS THE AUTHOR OF A BILL IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE THAT WOULD DO THAT.

THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: SO THIS WOULD CHANGE HOW WE MEASURE WHAT IS A HATE CRIME, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> IT IMPROVES THE DATA COLLECTION BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN UNDERREPORTING.

THE ONLY AY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REPORT A HATE CRIME IS TO A POLICE OFFICER.

WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS REALLY IT ALLOWS THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO COLLECT REPORTS FROM OMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

>> Eric: I SUPPOSE TRUSTING THE POLICE IS PROBABLY ONE REASON IT HASN'T GOTTEN BETTER?

>> YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

>> Eric: WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

WHAT'S THAT DYNAMIC ABOUT?

>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WE'VE SEEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, THERE'S A RISE IN ANTI-ASIAN HATE, AND MANY -- WE'VE SEEN FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE XPERIENCED INCIDENTS OF HATE AND BIAS INCIDENTS, THEY WILL OFTEN REPORT TO A COMMUNITY LEADER OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.

THE POLICE OFFICER IS REALLY NOT THE FIRST PERSON THAT THEY THINK ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.

AND, SO, ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO COLLECT THESE REPORTS AND TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO DO THAT DATA COLLECTION REALLY IMPROVES WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING ON THE GROUND FOR COMMUNITIES.

>> Cathy: DOES THIS SYSTEM DEAL WITH ALSO SLURS, I MEAN, CALLING SOMEONE A RACIAL SLUR, CALLING THEM A NAME, THAT WOULD BE A BIAS SITUATION, RIGHT, VERSUS A HATE CRIME?

WOULD THAT BE COUNTED AS WELL?

>> SO NOT ALL INCIDENTS ARE CRIMES.

SO, LIKE, IF THERE WAS A SLUR, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S A BIAS MOTIVATED BUT IT'S NOT CRIMINAL.

SO WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS WE'RE CALLING IT THE STOP HATE BILL BECAUSE IT DOESN'T JUST ADDRESS CRIMES, IT ADDRESSES HATE AND BIAS INCIDENTS IN GENERAL.

>> Eric: THE ACLU HAS EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS.

WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM WITH IT?

HAVE YOU ADDRESSED THAT AT ALL?

>> YOU KNOW, THE ACLU HAVE NOT QUITE REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT.

AND I'M STILL PRETTY VAGUE -- >> Eric: FREE SPEECH CONCERNS, MAYBE, FIRST AMENDMENT STUFF?

>> SO, FREE SPEECH IS STILL PROTECTED.

IT'S NOT A CONCERN IN THIS BILL.

I THINK IF I'M TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT THEY MIGHT HAVE CONCERN, REALLY, IS ABOUT THE PERCEIVED ASSOCIATION.

SO WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS IT ALSO ADDS THE VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES.

BASICALLY THE STATUTE RIGHT NOW IS OUTDATED.

AND, SO, IT INCLUDES LGBTQ VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES.

>> Eric: AND YOU DON'T LIST PEOPLE BY NAME, IT'S JUST BY THE INCIDENT, IS THAT HOW IT WORKS?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THE DATA COLLECTION DOES NOT IDENTIFY THE INDIVIDUAL, IT JUST IDENTIFIES THE NATURE OF THE INCIDENT AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS.

>> Cathy: WOULD THIS HELP TO ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND MORE THAN WHAT WE KNOW NOW IN TERMS OF BIAS AND HATE CRIMES?

>> RIGHT.

IT IS -- RIGHT NOW THERE'S REALLY NO INFRASTRUCTURE SET UP TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE COMMUNITIES CAN REPORT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.

AND, SO, THIS REALLY HELPS THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO SET UP A SYSTEM TO ALLOW TO COLLECT DATA FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE HATE AND BIAS INCIDENTS.

>> Cathy: AND ONCE THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE THOSE REPORTS, CAN THEY THEN DO MORE EDUCATION, PERHAPS?

I MEAN, WHAT WOULD BE THEIR ROLE?

>> YEAH.

DEFINITELY.

I MEAN, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITIES, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO IS BE A PLACEHOLDER FOR COMMUNITIES TO COME AND HEAL, TO LOOK AT WHERE THEY CAN FIND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE STATE AND HOW THEY CAN ADDRESS HATE.

THERE'S REALLY NO PLACE FOR HATE IN MINNESOTA.

>> Eric: REMIND ME, THIS AS PASSED THE HOUSE FLOOR IN A PREVIOUS SESSION.

>> YES.

>> Eric: HOW IS IT GOING IN THE SENATE?

>> SO, RIGHT NOW DEADLINES HAVE PASSED, AND, SO, THE BILL ONLY NEEDS -- HAS GONE THROUGH TWO COMMITTEES -- TWO COMMITTEE STOPS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUDICIARY, AND THAT'S ALL IT NEEDS TO GO.

>> Eric: YOU'LL GET IT INTO THE OMNIBUS PUBLIC SAFETY BILL, I WOULD GUESS.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

IT'S PART OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE JUDICIARY BUDGET BILL.

AND THEN ONCE IT GOES ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, THEN IT WILL