The Soldotna City Council passed a resolution supporting House Bill 198 that would expand the state’s existing hate crimes statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity. That would allow stricter sentencing for crimes targeting people because of those characteristics.
The council passed the measure its meeting Wednesday.
Councilman Jordan Chilson submitted the resolution, following up a pledge he made at a town hall meeting held Jan. 4 to discuss safety among the LGBTQ community. That meeting happened in response to reported instances of harassment and physical assault against Tammie Willis, of Sterling. Willis testified to the council.
“This resolution means a lot to me because I have been personally affected,” Willis said. “But it also means a lot to me because there are a lot of other people in the community and across Alaska who live in fear every day because of who they are. Or lack the ability to live authentically as who they are because they have that same fear of violence.
Leslie Byrd, who helps Willis organize the annual Pride in the Park event in June, also testified. She pushed back against comments on social media.
“Though the added words 'gender identity' and 'sexual identity' are typically associated with the LGBTQ community, every person on Earth has these characteristics,” Byrd said. “Just as they have sex, age, ability, race and other protected classes. There is literally nothing for anyone to lose if this resolution passes.”
Councilmember Pamela Parker was staunchly in favor of the resolution.
“I want to make sure that we as the city of Soldotna, make it clear to our residents that you are welcome and we will not accept or tolerate hateful behavior or discriminatory behavior,” Parker said.
Councilman David Carey spoke against the resolution. He cited several reasons, that the council’s resolution wouldn’t have jurisdiction over the state legislation. That the language of the bill might change during the legislative process and end up saying something the council didn’t intend to support. That there isn’t extra funding being allocated to cover costs of inmates who would be incarcerated longer and that the hate crimes legislation doesn’t stop hate in the first place. He’d rather see reforms to the criminal justice system as a whole.
“I hate hate, but this type of, in my opinion, tokenism devalues the great needs of judicial reform in this country and state. Instead of picking one piece of possible legislation, we need to show love to everyone. We need to treat everyone with all due respect,” Carey said.
Carey moved to postpone the vote, but failed. Chilson successfully amended his resolution to add the words “as currently submitted” in support of the initial version of House Bill 198, to address Carey’s concern that the bill’s text might change.
Chilson reminded the council that hate crimes legislation already exists in Alaska, whether someone thinks it should or not, and he encouraged extending the same protection to these groups.
“I would highly encourage full support of this resolution from our council so that we can say as a city we support our whole community, we are an inclusive community and we stand together against hate,” Chilson said.
The resolution passed, with Carey casting the only no vote.
