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SANTA
ROSA (BCN) - A bill that would make interfering with an
employee or patient at an abortion clinic a hate crime
was approved by a state Assembly committee on Wednesday
and goes to the Assembly floor next week. AB 996 passed
13-6 in the Assembly Committee on Insurance one of the
bill's six sponsors, Assemblywoman Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa
Rosa, said Wednesday. The bill also would protect abortion
clinics from the loss of insurance coverage or unreasonable
premium increases as a result of claims filed after hate
crimes against a patient, employee or volunteer.
Wiggins
told the committee the measure is needed because of the
high rate of attacks on clinics in California. "California
leads the nation in abortion clinic arsons and bombings
with three times more than the second most populous state,
New York. This campaign of violence, vandalism and intimidation
is curtailing the availability of abortion services across
the country and endangering providers and patients,"
Wiggins said.
The
bill amends legislation passed two years ago that provided
protection to religious or educational groups or their
non-profit and charitable affiliates. The bill would include
clinics and other reproductive service agencies. The state
insurance code's definition of a hate crime would be amended
to include forceful intervention in the free exercise
or enjoyment of any constitutional right or privilege
because the person is an employee,
contractor, volunteer, patient or is otherwise affiliated
with a reproductive health services facility. Wiggins'
office said since 1996 abortion clinics in the country
have suffered $13 million in damage and there have been
150 arsons, bombings or shootings at clinics since 1982.
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2003 BCN. All Rights Reserved.
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