TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Two New Jersey state senators, one from each party, plan to introduce a bill to increase penalties for those who commit violence with politics as a motivating factor.
This bill was written by state Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties) the day after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He says not long after that, Democratic state Sen. Brian Stack of Hudson County reached out to be a co-sponsor.
Steinhardt said the bill only deals with acts of violence committed because of someone’s political views — and that it doesn’t aim to police political speech. “The violence was because of somebody’s political views, so the assault, the arson, the murder, whatever the case may be,” he said.
He added the law would significantly enhance the penalty on top of the charge faced by the defendant.
In explaining how the bill works, Steinhardt gave a hypothetical situation where a person would wear a MAGA hat and an Eagles jersey. If someone said something political before assaulting that person, this law would apply, significantly enhancing the penalty for that assault.
“On the other side of the coin, if I walk up and punch you in the face and say ‘I hate the Eagles, I’m a Giants fan,’ then no prosecutor is going to be able to establish that was politically motivated,” he said. “They are two different things.”
Steinhardt said it was important to note this would only apply to violence or dangerous conduct, not speech.
In a statement, Stack said enough is enough and that this kind of behavior has no place in a civil society.
The bill is still being ironed out and will likely be introduced in the legislature next month. A vote may not happen until early next year.