Today, Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) introduced AB 1535, the Hortman-Kirk Political Violence Prevention Act, which would add political affiliation to the list of actual or perceived characteristics needed to classify as a hate crime. The bill is named after former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University while speaking at a Turning Point USA event.
“Our nation was founded on political freedoms, however, political violence is detrimental to our democracy and shouldn’t be tolerated,” Davies said.
