Response of Elaine Luria (D-Va.)

1. "Hate crimes are a nationwide challenge we must address immediately. According to Virginia State police, hate crimes in Virginia spiked by almost 50% between 2016 and 2017. It’s alarming that crimes spurred by differences in race, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors are becoming more prevalent in our Commonwealth. The work to prevent hate crimes comes from stopping hateful ideology and promoting understanding of people with different backgrounds rather than fear." 2. "Congress can and should take action against hate crimes and white supremacist terrorism. Earlier this month, I joined 47 of my colleagues in Congress in calling upon House and Senate leadership to immediately act to address the rising threat of white supremacist terrorism. Specifically, we said Congress should pass the NO HATE ACT, the Disarm Hate Act, and the Domestic Terrorism Data Act. These are just a few examples of concrete actions that Congress can take to stem the tide of hate. I will continue to keep an open dialogue with community groups and law enforcement to explore the best ways we can address these issues." The events that took place in Charlottesville two summers ago can be seen as a national microcosm for hatred and white supremacy, in what ways do you think locally, state, and federally Virginia can be a national leader on addressing and preventing hate crimes? "Virginians have a unique opportunity to serve as national leaders in addressing and preventing hate crimes and white supremacist terrorism. In the Virginia General Assembly, state officials have a chance to pass legislation that would update our Commonwealth’s definition of hate crimes to include crimes motivated by gender or sexual orientation. There is also legislation to allow grand juries to prosecute hate crimes across multiple jurisdictions. At the federal level, we should vote for bills, such as the ones I previously mentioned, that would address these challenges. Additionally, officials must work across party lines and engage with community leaders and law enforcement to better understand the severity and causes of hate crimes and white supremacist terrorism. Doing so would allow us to build a data-driven strategy to tackle these problems."