Amid an uptick in reports of hate crimes and hate speech following the election of Republican Donald Trump as president, there have been calls from some governments and elected officials for stronger anti-hate crime laws, a crackdown on offenders and hotlines for citizens to report harassment and intimidation. The Democrat said her office created the hotline in response to bias-motivated threats around the country, including some in Massachusetts. ___LAW CHANGESDemocratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has called for tougher federal legislation against hate crimes. He announced Monday he plans to submit legislation that would increase penalties for those convicted of hate crimes and allow those who report hate crimes to do so anonymously, among other things. Andrew Cuomo has directed state police to create a special unit to investigate reports of hate crimes.

Source: Fox News November 21, 2016 21:42 UTC