The Eugene City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Nov. 22, criminalizing the crime of intimidation by display of a noose and increasing the fines for bias crimes in the second degree by 150%.

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The ordinance increases the penalty for bias crimes in the second degree from $2,500 to $6,250, as well as one year in jail, or both.

A bias crime is a crime motivated by a person’s real or perceived association with race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Bias crimes that the city of Eugene can prosecute in municipal court can also include a crime motivated by unhoused status, according to the city’s website.

Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis thanked Councilor Greg Evans for bringing the issue forward initially and for his testimony before the legislature, which she said was very powerful and important.

The state legislature voted to pass SB 398 to create the crime of intimidation by display of a noose back in June of this year.
In Evans’ testimony in support of SB 398, he said Eugene residents are not immune to the use of a noose as hate speech and intimidation, and several incidents of nooses being displayed publicly or placed in residents of African Americans have been documented.