Minnesota lawmaker slams bill that would create 'thoughtcrime' database of alleged bias incidents
Fox News
Republican Minnesota state Rep. Walter Hudson raised the alarm regarding proposed legislation in the State House that could potentially impinge upon religious freedom.
Each alleged incident would include information about the perceived offender and victim "relevant to that bias," according to the law. "…they're more concerned about what's going on in people's heads, which is protected speech, and that's thoughtcrime." Jon Brown is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to jon.brown@fox.com.
"It's a very insidious and conniving way to get the camel's nose under the tent of expanding the scope of government scrutiny of speech beyond crimes and assault," Republican state Rep. Walter Hudson told Fox News Digital of the bill, which has a companion in the state Senate.
Hudson said he worried that the language of the bill, which encompasses not just race but also gender identity and gender expression, is overbroad and could ultimately impinge upon religious liberty. He noted that he found the original draft of the bill "problematic," but noted the language of the bill has been amended to include "incidents" that do not reach the level of crimes.