Proposed ordinance to increase penalties for hate crimes in Jacksonville rejected by city council

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville City Council voted down a proposed ordinance to increase penalties for hate crimes in Jacksonville. The final vote was 7 for the ordinance, 12 against.

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Tonight’s vote came after months of debate during city council committee meetings.

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All members spoke out against the type of hateful acts this proposal targeted, but not all were convinced this was something for the city council to take on.

Council member Jimmy Peluso started working on this proposal in memory of the three people killed in a racially motivated shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General last August.

Tonight, supporters of the bill mentioned the recent graffiti on a Starbucks on the southside as one example of a crime that would see increased penalties under the proposal.

RELATED STORY: ‘Not in this city:’ Bipartisan group of Jacksonville leaders unveil new hate crime legislation

A 2023 state law against projected hate messages also increases for crimes motivated by hate.

The local proposal would also cover crimes motivated by hate against members of the LGBTQ+ community, which is not part of the state law.

“After listening to that bill in every committee, there is a consensus that a resolution is the best way at handling it,” city council member Terrance Freeman said. “Trying to create laws that are already on the books that aren’t going to change hate. Hate is a matter of the heart. Are you really going to stop someone if they have bad or evil in their heart, and policy is not the way to do it.”

“There was several rallies and whole lot of politicians who showed up after the shooting nearly a year ago where everyone said we’d like to come together and do something,” Peluso said. “And then when push came to shove, when there was real action on the table, people didn’t want to do anything, and I find that really hypocritical and frustrating.”

RELATED STORY: ‘I’m offended:’ Black Republican councilman announces opposition to Jacksonville hate crime bill

The proposal was named after Johnnie Mae Chappell. She was a black mother of 10 children killed during race riots in Jacksonville in 1964.

Four people were arrested. One man was charged with manslaughter and only served three years in prison. Charges against the other three were dropped.

One of her sons was at tonight’s council meeting.

Council member Nick Howland, who was among the 12 “no” votes -- says he will work on placing a historical marker in her memory, so her story is not forgotten.

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