TYRA Lyn Sablan, founder of Marianas LGBTQ+ T-Project, is grateful to the House of Representatives for passing House Bill 22-18 that proposes to impose heavier sentences for crimes motivated by hate.
Authored by Rep. Donald Manglona, the bill, which is now in the Senate, defines hate crimes and sets a range of penalties. If the maximum penalty for the underlying crime is 10 years or more, the penalty for a violation shall be imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $15,000, or both.
Commenting as a private citizen, Sablan said in an interview on Friday that she has reached out to members of the local community to support H.B. 22-18.
She said the measure is needed in the CNMI. Although the islands have not had as many cases compared to the states, hate-motivated crime is something that can still happen here.
Sablan is hopeful that the Senate will pass H.B. 22-18 and more hopeful that the governor will sign it into law.
She said the people of the CNMI are respectful people. “We have no room for hate in the CNMI,” she said.
Despite the diverse cultures in the CNMI, love always wins on the islands, she added.
“This is a very closely knit community. We don’t have hate here, and we want to keep it that way,” Sablan said.
