City councilman proposes hate crime ordinance

The ordinance, which needs to pass three readings to become law, would prohibit “malicious harms based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry or disability.”

Councilman Billy Montgomery, who brought the ordinance forward, said this has been on his mind for quite a while.

“I just want to show the world that we’re a diverse community and we welcome anybody,” he said. “Gillette’s always been the leader in stuff like this, now, we’re kind of running behind everyone else.”

Montgomery said that from an economic development perspective, this ordinance would proactively create a “safer environment” for current and future residents.

Wyoming is one of only two states, along with South Carolina, that does not have a hate crime law. Laramie, Cheyenne, Casper and Jackson already have local hate crime ordinances.

Montgomery said the language in the proposed ordinance is based on those four communities’ ordinances.

In 2016, the city passed a nondiscrimination resolution. It only affected the city’s hiring policies and had no impact on law. It’s meant to be symbolic, but unlike a resolution, an ordinance has teeth.

The ordinance reads that no one shall “maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate or harm another person” through causing physical injury, destroying property or threatening people because of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry or disability.

Additionally, “no person shall incite or produce imminent violence directed against another person or group of persons because of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry or disability.”

This prohibition includes instances where one’s words or actions were “intended and likely to incite or produce imminent violence” but failed.

The ordinance categorizes this crime as a misdemeanor, and anyone found guilty of it can be fined up to $750 and serve up to 90 days in jail.

A public hearing will be held at the council meeting Tuesday. After this, the ordinance will go before the council for its first of three readings.

Montgomery said that he believes the city will pass the ordinance.

“I hope the rest of the council would see that we need this to bring in new business and new people and to keep the city thriving and that they would support it,” he said.