RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is home to a diverse range of persons of various national origin, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Hate crimes against such persons and communities in the City have risen at an alarming rate of twenty percent in 2016, reaching the highest frequency in five years; and
WHEREAS, The City seeks to protect the lives and property of its residents in its own capacity and by promoting the safety of those groups throughout our State and our Nation; and
WHEREAS, The increase in hate crimes must be addressed through a statewide, multifaceted approach; and
WHEREAS, An active Illinois State Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes serves an important role in combatting these discriminatory, unlawful acts; and
WHEREAS, Governor Rauner has not yet appointed persons to fill the twenty vacant positions required for a fully functioning Commission; and
WHEREAS, The restoration of the Commission is vital in bringing community leaders and advocates together to work toward solutions to reverse the troublesome trend of hate crimes in the State of Illinois and the City; and
WHEREAS, Legislation strengthening the current hate crimes law has been introduced in the State of Illinois 100th General Assembly, in the form of House Bill 3711;and
WHEREAS, House Bill 3711 expands the reach of protection from hate crimes, provides the Attorney General with civil enforcement authority, ensures all victims of hate crimes a civil remedy, and allows judges to impose civil penalties, bolstering the effect ofthe Illinois Hate Crimes Act; and
WHEREAS, This legislative effort provides adequate protection and appropriate remedies for victims, while creating measures to deter the engagement in such acts, which furthers the mission of decreasing incidences of hate crimes; and
WHEREAS, The restoration ofthe Commission and passage of House Bill 3711 are necessary steps toward ensuring the welfare and safety of marginalized groups and the security of all residents of the City; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this twenty-fourth day of May, 2017, do hereby urge the
Governor to restore the Illinois State Hate Crimes Commission and lawmakers to pass House Bill 3711 to strengthen Illinois' hate crimes law; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor ofthe State of Illinois, the President ofthe Illinois Senate, the Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader ofthe Illinois House of Representatives.
Pat Dowell
