California bill seeks to add political affiliation to hate crime law

A California bill introduced last week aims 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 assassinated last year.

Under current California law, hate crimes are criminal acts committed because of a victim’s real or perceived characteristics such as race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

AB 1535 would expand this definition to include political affiliation, defined as “state membership in a political party, support for a political party or a political party platform, or support for a politician or a politician’s platform.”

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 Assembly member and Laguna Niguel Republican Laurie Davies introduced the bill, saying it aims 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 should not be tolerated,” Davies said. “Leaders are responsible for cooling the temperature, not fanning the flames. AB 1535 is not just about protecting Californians; it is a cultural reset. It is a commitment to the idea that every Californian has the right to express their political views without fear of being targeted by those who view 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 in criminal hate crime laws, 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 filled the Utah Valley University campus following his assassination on Wednesday, September 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 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 shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, during a conference for Turning Point.

A Luigi Mangione supporter stands in front of Federal Court in Manhattan, New York on January 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 crimes 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 on current President Donald Trump in 2024.