NEW YORK (JTA) — Responding to rising anti-Semitism in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced several proposals to combat hate, including one that would create a first-in-the-nation domestic terrorism law.
The law would classify mass violence motivated by hate as a felony punishable by up to life in prison without parole. It’s part of a legislative package dubbed “No Hate in Our State.”
Cuomo’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 would allocate an additional $25 million in security grants for institutions vulnerable to hate crimes and $2 million to the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force.
According to the Governor’s Office, the proposal also would require New York City public schools to implement a new curriculum that “teaches civic values and the State’s rich history of diversity and religious freedom,” require every student to visit a Holocaust museum and task the Battery Park City Authority with developing a plan to expand the Museum of Jewish Heritage on the Holocaust.
At the Jan. 5 “No Hate. No Fear. Solidarity March” in New York City, “Cuomo vowed to introduce a law that would define anti-Semitism as domestic terrorism, as well as increase the ranks of the State Police force and the state Hate Crimes Task Force” and announced $45 million in new funding to protect religious-based institutions, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
