This is laughable. Do lawmakers really believe that the majority of people are going to continue to sit on their hands while they introduce and in some cases pass meaningless legislation. It is obviously a case of wanting to acquire more votes. C'mon, he's never been one to show compassion for anyone or any interests other than his own. He certainly is not compassionate or sympathetic to any of the classifications listed in the hate crimes bill.
Murder is just plain wrong, regardless of the reasoning behind it.
The bill is now a law. I think I'm beginning to like Rick Perry. He's got balls. I also think it's important to remember that one's motivations for committing a crime can be taken into account at the punishment phase of a trial by juries and judges without the hate crimes legislation. There are ranges of punishment for virtually all crimes in Texas.