House Votes to Expand Hate Crimes Legislation

On Thursday, October 8th, nearly eleven years after the murder of Matthew Shepard, the House of Representatives voted to expand the definition of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. The New York Times reports that the final vote was 281 in favor and 146 opposed. The bill, originally introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy, will now move to the Senate, where it has solid support, for final approval. The measure is included within an essential $681 million military policy bill, which authorizes military pay, weapons programs, and other essentials for the military.

Equal Marriage Bill Introduced in D.C.

On Tuesday, October 6, D.C. Councilman David Catania introduced the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009. This bill would expand a D.C. law passed by the Council in July that recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. The bill also would protect clergy members from conducting or providing accommodations for same-sex marriage ceremonies. Ten council members signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that it appears unlikely that Congress will block the bill. The Council hopes to have a vote on the bill by December this year. The bill is not expected to have any problems getting through the Council, but, under Home Rule, U.S. Congress has 30 legislative days to review the bill before it becomes law.

The Washington Business Journal published an article today, Friday, October 9th, which states that a study by the Williams Institute conducted this past April found that within three years equal marriage in D.C. could inject as much as $52.2 million into the city's retail and tourism industry.