New Yorkers convicted of hate crimes must now go through hate crime prevention training

The new law comes days after a gunman killed five people at a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub.

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Nov. 22, 2022

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks about investments in microchip manufacturing in upstate New York at Onondaga Community College on Oct. 27, 2022, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two bills into law on Tuesday aimed at addressing the “rising tide of hate” sweeping the country.

The first law requires those convicted of hate crime in New York to undergo hate crime prevention training and counseling.

The second creates a statewide campaign to promote tolerance.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has signed two bills into law on Tuesday aimed at addressing the “rising tide of hate” across the country.

The first piece of legislation requires New Yorkers convicted of a hate crime to go through counseling on hate crime prevention and education as part of their sentence.

The second law will create a statewide campaign run by New York’s Division of Human Rights to promote acceptance, inclusion, tolerance and understanding of diversity among New Yorkers, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

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Hochul also extended the deadline for New York community-based organizations to receive funding for new security equipment or training on how to prevent hate crimes via the state’s $50 million Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program

The deadline to apply to the program has now been changed to Feb. 28, 2023.

“No Asian woman of any age coming home from work should ever worry about where they stand on a subway platform,” said Hochul during a press conference.

“No young Jewish boy should ever have to look over his shoulder as he is walking into a yeshiva. No trans man or woman should ever have to fear for their safety or their life.”

The new state laws come three days after a 22-year-old gunman opened fire in Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., killing five people and injuring at least 25 others.

New York state has been shaken by several hate crimes this year alone. On Saturday, a brick was thrown through the front window of a New York City gay bar called VERS for the fourth time since it opened this summer.

That same day two men linked to threats targeting local synagogues were taken into custody after entering Penn Station in New York City; both were armed with a hunting knife, gun and a 30-round magazine.