Iowa City Council to discuss hate crime ordinance
Beloved Community Initiative is a proud member of Johnson County Interfaith Coalition.
People could face fines and jail time if convicted of harassment born of hatred in Iowa City, according to a proposed ordinance.
The Johnson County Interfaith Coalition proposed the ordinance, which is scheduled for first consideration at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Iowa City Council. The rule would go into effect if approved three times.
The proposed ordinance allows both harassment and trespass with intent to harass to be considered hate crimes should they violate Iowa City’s human rights ordinance. That ordinance forbids discrimination based on “race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity,” according to the city.