Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed what’s been deemed as an alternative hate crimes bill into state law. Arkansas SB 622, introduced as a class protection bill, requires criminal defendants to serve at least 80 percent of their sentences if it is found that they had “purposely selected the victim because the victim was a member of or was associated with a recognizable and identifiable group or class who share mental, physical, biological, cultural, political, or religious beliefs or characteristics.” The bill was filed in the state Senate on April 1 by state Republican Sens. Jimmy Hickey Jr. and Alan Clark , and Reps. Matthew Shepherd and Carol Dalby, and was approved 22-7 on a party-line vote on April 7. The Republican-majority Arkansas House later voted 65-26 in favor of the measure on April 12 before it headed to Hutchinson’s desk. The legislation applies to those found guilty of “serious felonies involving violence.” This covers first- …