Commonwealth leaders come together to sign anti-bigotry legislation

(The Center Square) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin held a ceremonial signing for legislation adding ethnicity to the protected classes under the Virginia Human Rights Act and ratcheting up penalties for people committing crimes motivated by bigotry.

The bipartisan House and Senate legislation was inspired by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Gaza, which led to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, sparking anti-Israeli protests around the globe, including Virginia.

The companion legislation House Bill 18 and Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Orange, built on legislation passed in 2023, which included ethnicity among protected classes but not uniformly. The bills help ensure Virginians cannot be denied employment opportunities or public accommodations because of their ethnicity. Both bills passed unanimously.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritize the safety and security of all Virginians as our Commonwealth continues to be a beacon of freedom and opportunity,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Hatred, intolerance, and antisemitism have no place in the Commonwealth.”

Virginia law already stipulates that if certain crimes are found to have been motivated by certain types of bigotry or prejudice, there will be additional criminal penalties. Now, “ethnic origin” is named among those biases.

If someone commits simple assault or assault and battery, for example – a class 1 misdemeanor in the commonwealth – because of the victim’s “race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or ethnic or national origin,” they must serve at least six months in confinement. If the crime results in bodily injury to the victim, then assault is bumped up to a class 6 felony with six months’ confinement.

Trespassing and damaging the property or harming the property owner due to his ethnicity or any of the other protected classes is also a class 6 felony. It includes a penalty of six months of confinement.

Helmer spoke about his personal experience celebrating the success of the legislation.

“As the grandson of Holocaust survivors and a Jewish parents whose kids have confronted antisemitism, I know how important it is that all Virginians are safe regardless of their ethnicity. I am thankful to Speaker Don Scott and other leaders in the House as well as Senator Bryce Reeves and Governor Youngkin for helping us pass this critical legislation,” Helmer said.