Two GOP state lawmakers want harsher penalties for crimes motivated by politics.

Introduced by Reps. Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.), House Bill 457 came in the wake of the recent assassinations of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman, who was the Democratic speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

HB 457 seeks to define a state hate crime statute by adding a victim’s partisan affiliation and whether they serve or served in an elected office as classifications in aggravated murder cases. In Ohio, an aggravated murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence without eligibility for parole, and prosecutors can seek the death penalty.

It adds political motivation as an enhancement possible in any violent felony case, which wou

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