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New California bill named after Charlie Kirk, Melissa Hortman adds ‘political affiliation’ to hate crimes
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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.
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SEATTLE – Canadian officials are turning to the Pacific Northwest public for help identifying a kayaker who died along the shores of a Vancouver, B.C. beach in 2022.
Microscopic pollen spores discovered on the Jane Doe’s personal belongings unlocked a major breakthrough in the four-year-old cold case, leading investigators to believe she likely spent her last days in the Seattle or Portland area.
The backstory:
On Sept. 29, 2022, at approximately 9 p.m., a tugboat crew navigating the waters off Spanish Banks in English Bay, Vancouver, spotted something floating in the dark.
The crew discovered it was a woman and pulled her from the water, but she died hours after rescue. An inflatable kayak was also found drifting nearby, but there was no identification on the woman, only a backpack, candy, sweater, and insulin.
Photos of the unidentified kayaker found in English Bay in 2022.
Investigators believe the woman was in her 30s and of African descent. No missing person was found to match her description through DNA and fingerprint testing.
An autopsy found the woman did not die of drowning, but showed signs of severe anaphylaxis, meaning she could have had a fatal medical emergency while out on the water. Foul play is not suspected.
Dig deeper:
After efforts to identify the Jane Doe yielded no results, Vancouver, B.C. police sent the woman’s backpack and sweater across the border for testing of environmental particles.
According to the report, fabric on the woman’s sweater contained pollen grains and fern spores unique to the Interstate 5 corridor of the Pacific Northwest, specifically in the Seattle and Portland areas.
What you can do:
Authorities hope the results of the chemical analysis, along with the woman’s photo, will help someone recognize the unidentified kayaker.
If you have any information, please contact investigators at 604-717-0619 or email thekayaker@vpd.ca.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Vancouver Police Department and CTV News Vancouver.
A crash Monday afternoon has closed all lanes of traffic on the Seward Highway near Portage, the Anchorage Police Department said.
Officers were on scene for a vehicle collision at Mile 80 of the highway, with all lanes closed, according to a traffic alert from police.
The department said drivers should expect delays.
Police in their alert didn’t provide additional details about the crash, including whether there were any injuries or how many vehicles were involved.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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