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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2008
CONTACT: Diane Gramley 1.814.437.5355 or 1.814.271.9078
Frances Bevan 1.724.864.5989

Original Plaintiffs Respond to PA Hate Crimes Decision

(Harrisburg) – Last week’s decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to uphold the November 2007 ruling by the Commonwealth Court to declare the hate crimes law unconstitutional is being applauded by the original plaintiffs in the constitutional challenge. In June 2003 Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, and Frances Bevan, president of the Pennsylvania Eagle Forum, as individuals, were named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the way in which H.B. 1493 was passed. In July 2005 the court ruled Bevan and Gramley did not have ‘standing’ to sue. Shortly after that, the lawsuit advanced with the names of seven members of the Philadelphia Eleven who were arrested in October 2004.

“The PA Supreme Court made the right decision in upholding the Commonwealth Court’s decision. The seven petitioners were all arrested in October 2004 and charged with a ‘hate crime’ for singing choruses and reading scripture at a homosexual event in Philadelphia. No crime was committed and their First Amendment rights were infringed,” commented Gramley.

H.B. 1493 was gutted of all language dealing with its original intent which was to make a law against agricultural vandalism. All language dealing with eggs, fruit trees and livestock was stripped from the bill and “actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity’ was inserted.

In November 2002 warnings about the potential for loss of religious liberties were ignored and the bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Mark Schweiker on December 3^rd. In less than two years eleven Christians were arrested and charged with a hate crime; each faced 47 years in prison and up to $90,000 in fines. The unheeded warnings had become fact.

“What part of unconstitutional don’t they understand? You take a bill and completely gut it of its original language and it’s unconstitutional!” remarked Bevan.

There is no need for hate crimes laws . . . there are already laws on the books against murder, assault, property damage, etc.

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