In early 2005, State Representative Mark Noennig was the lone Republican in Montana's state house who supported a hate crimes bill which would have added disability, gender, and sexual orientation protections to the state's hate crimes law.  He said was belted with insults and criticism for his vote.  Noenig said, "This bill doesn't set up special rights for anyone. It's a…remedy for victims who have been put in a special class by a perpetrator."