Congress votes to extend hate crimes to cover attacks based on sexual orientation, genderWASHINGTON — A House vote Thursday put Congress on the verge of significantly expanding hate crimes law to make it a federal crime to assault people because of their sexual orientation. The legislation would bring major changes to law enacted in the days after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. House votes to extend hate crimes to cover attacks based on sexual orientation, genderWASHINGTON — The House has voted to significantly expand four-decades-old hate crimes law to protect those attacked because of their sexual orientation. |