BILL NUMBER: SCR 58 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 43
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 28, 2010
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JUNE 28, 2010
ADOPTED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 21, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Cedillo
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
Relative to hate speech.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 58, Cedillo. Freedom of speech: hate speech.
This measure would condemn the increase of hate speech in the
media, particularly against Latinos, and urge for accurate and fair
reporting to counter hate speech on television, radio, cable, and the
Internet.
WHEREAS, The media plays a critical role in how the United States
Latino community is portrayed, including how Latinos are presented
and portrayed to Latino children and to the broader society; and
WHEREAS, Hate speech has been defined as speech which threatens
imminent unlawful action, but also, as speech which creates a climate
of hate and prejudice, which in turn may foster the commission of
hate crimes; and
WHEREAS, There has been an increase in hate speech in the media,
and in particular, hate speech on television, radio, cable, and on
the Internet; and
WHEREAS, The increase of hate speech in the media, in addition to
lack of diversity in the media, media consolidation, and media
concentration, are having a profoundly negative impact on the civil
rights of Latinos and on society as a whole; and
WHEREAS, Studies indicate that there is a correlation between hate
speech in the media and hate crimes against Latinos; and
WHEREAS, Unsubstantiated, inflammatory, and inaccurate information
is disseminated and promoted in the public sphere about undocumented
immigrants and Latinos in general, causing an escalating
life-threatening movement against all Latinos; and
WHEREAS, A recently released FBI report documents that Hispanics
comprise 62.8 percent of victims of crimes motivated by a bias toward
the victims' ethnicity or national origin, an increase of 35 percent
from 2003 to 2006. During that same period, more than 300
anti-immigration groups formed, with half labeled as "nativist
extremists." Moreover, the violence is directed at all Latinos,
whether undocumented or not, because of the indistinguishable
characteristics of Latino subgroups; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature condemns the increase of
hate speech in the media and demands accurate and fair reporting as
well as equal access to counter one-sided hate speech in the media,
and in particular, hate speech on television, radio, cable, and the
Internet; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.