Legislators: No need for new state laws after Wyoming death

Monday, Oct. 19, 1998 | 9:53 a.m.

Assemblyman David Parks, D-Henderson, the only openly gay member of the Legislature, said Nevada already has sufficient laws to prosecute people for hate crimes.

He cited a law passed by the 1995 Legislature that allows judges to give 25 percent longer sentences to those who commit crimes because of a victim's sexual orientation, race or religion.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Mark James, R-Henderson, said he also doesn't see a need to propose new legislation because Nevada is one of 21 states with laws against hate crimes.

"You can only legislate so much," James said. "But we need to do as much as we can as a society to stamp out prejudice."

The gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, 21, died Oct. 12, several days after he was beaten and tied to a split-rail fence near Laramie.

Two men have been formally charged with his slaying, but Wyoming does not have a hate crime law.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, the author of Nevada's hate crime law, said she doesn't think the law alone is enough to stop prejudice from turning violent.

"You hope through education and increased awareness that you raise enough consciousness in people that they wouldn't do these things," she said. "Unfortunately, my bill didn't address it. It was an after-the-fact thing."

Evans introduced her bill after the Reno murder of Bill Metz, a gay man.

While her law may not stop hate crimes, Evans said it sends a message about how Nevadans feel about them.

"We are not tolerant of (hate crimes) and we are willing to extract more punishment," she said.