FRANKFORT, Ky. — A pair of Kentucky Democrats on Wednesday filed bills in the Senate and House to establish a state hate crime law and enhance protections for victims in Kentucky.

The measures, Senate Bill 272 and House Bill 477, would extend prison time if it is proven that a crime is intentionally committed based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

State Senate Democratic Leader Gerald Neal and state Rep. Daniel Grossberg, both from Louisville, filed the measures in previous sessions in honor of Vickie Jones and Maurice Stallard, victims of the 2018 shooting at a Kroger in Jeffersontown.

Neal said this particular legislation would bring substantial change and commemorate the lives of Jones and Stallard.

“The rise in hate crime cases across our nation is a cause of great concern," Neal said in a news release. "I have filed similar proposals in the past to address this issue, and now is the time for us to pass it. Let’s let Vickie and Maurice’s legacy be one that brings lasting change."

Under the proposal, the prison sentence for a Class A or B misdemeanor would be increased by at least half of the maximum imprisonment sentence and fine that currently exists. For a Class D felony, the term of imprisonment would be increased by one to five years; a Class C felony would be increased by five to ten years; and a Class A or B felony would be increased by 10 to 20 years.

“This legislation will give us another important tool to confront hate and ensure those driven by it pay a steeper price,” said state Rep. Grossberg. “I’m proud to work with Sen. Neal and look forward to turning this proposal into law—for Vickie and Maurice and for every Kentuckian who has been harmed because of how they look, pray, live and love.”

Additionally, if convicted, the change in the state hate crimes law means an individual would not be eligible for probation, shock probation, conditional discharge, parole, or any other form of early release.

In June 2021, Gregory A. Bush, 53, was sentenced in federal court to life in prison without parole in connection with his racially-motivated murder of two Black patrons at the Jeffersontown Kroger. During his plea hearing, Bush admitted that he shot and killed the shoppers based solely on their race.