By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A bill to expand Alabama's hate crimes law now awaits debate in both the Senate and the House. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the proposal yesterday. It would add a victim's sexual orientation to the current hate crimes law. That already covers crimes committed because of a person's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability. Senator Hank Sanders sponsors the bill and says the state needs to add sexual orientation. He says it would be another deterrent against crime.