Jaime Malarkey, The Examiner
2008-03-18 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

Annapolis -

Hanging a noose is one step closer to becoming a hate crime in Maryland after a General Assembly committee passed the proposal on to the full House of Delegates floor last week.

The measure bans displaying a noose in response to a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation or nationality. The bill’s sponsor, Del. Victor Ramirez, a Prince George’s County Democrat, said he expected a final vote by the end of this week.

“You either agree with the concept or not,” Ramirez said. “We’ve come up with a bill that passes constitutional muster, so there are no excuses.”

At a public hearing in January, prosecutors suggested expanding the proposal to include all weapons used to intimidate a protected class.