California bill seeks to add political affiliation to hate crime law

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A California bill introduced last week seeks to reduce political violence by adding political affiliation to the state's protected characteristics in order to classify it as a hate crime.

The bill, AB 1535, as first reported by the Orange County Register, is called the Hortman-Kirk Political Violence Prevention Act, and is named after former Minnesota Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who were both murdered last year.

Under existing California law, hate crimes are criminal acts committed because of a victim’s actual or perceived characteristics such as race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

AB 1535 would expand that definition to include political affiliation, defined as "the state of belonging to a political party, the endorsement of a political party or a platform of a political party, or the endorsement of a politician or a platform of a politician."

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk were both killed in 2025. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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State Assemblymember Laurie Davies, a Republican from Laguna Niguel, introduced the bill, saying it is intended to promote a culture in which free speech is valued and protected.

"Our nation was founded on political freedoms. However, political violence is detrimental to our democracy and shouldn’t be tolerated," Davies said. "Leaders are required to cool the temperature, not fan the flames. AB 1535 isn’t just about protecting Californians; it’s about a cultural reset. It’s a commitment to the idea that every Californian has the right to their political views without fear of being targeted by those who see them as an enemy rather than a neighbor." 

Under current state law, political affiliation is already a protected category in civil contexts such as employment or housing, but not within criminal hate crime statutes, according to Davies. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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Flowers and tributes to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk have filled Utah Valley University's campus in the wake of his assassination on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

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"This measure ensures that our justice system recognizes political violence for exactly what it is: a hate-motivated crime," she said.

Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in a targeted attack at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on June 14, 2025.

Kirk was gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, at a speaking event for Turning Point.

A Luigi Mangione supporter stands outside Federal Court in Manhattan, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2026, where a suppression hearing is underway.  (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

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A similar bill adding political affiliation as a protected characteristic in hate crime law was introduced in Washington in December.

Some law enforcement experts have warned that political violence is on the rise, citing high-profile attacks, including the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and two assassination attempts against now-President Donald Trump in 2024.