Conway City Council OKs first reading of hate crime ordinance

CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — Conway City Council passed first reading of the city’s new hate crime ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting.

The proposal first came up in March while the council debated a resolution on hate crimes after a cross-burning incident near Conway last Thanksgiving weekend.

“My hope in this venture is that the city of Conway is different from a lot of other places,” Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said. “I see us as being reminded, I see us as being open-armed. I see us as loving and supporting each other. I see us as standing firmly in this statement to the world that that’s not who we are.”

Florence and Lake City adopted similar hate crime ordinances earlier this year. South Carolina is one of two states without a hate crime law.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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