North Dakota Governor Issues Memo to Governments Departments barring LGBT Discrimination

Recently, lawmakers in North Dakota killed an LGBT non-discrimination bill. However, Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple sent out a memo to government departments barring discrimination against the LGBT community.

Here's more:

Dalrymple"This administration expects all cabinet agencies to hire employees and to maintain agency staff based on ability and performance," Chief of Staff Ron Rauschenberger wrote. "Ours remains a policy of non-discrimination, including no discrimination based on sexual orientation."

All 38 Democrats from the House and Senate delivered a letter to Dalrymple later in the day asking him to issue an executive order to require state agencies to ban discrimination in hiring and employment based on sexual orientation. Democrats are the minority in the Legislature, where Republicans hold two-thirds majorities.

Dalrymple's staff late Monday said such an executive order already exists because the governor last year "reaffirmed and ratified" an order signed by former GOP Gov. Allen Olson in 1981 that mandates all state employees be provided "fair, equitable, and uniform treatment."

Dalrymple spokesman Jeff Zent said "all means all. It doesn't say some."

Wow, the ripple effect of Indiana is still going!

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In Texas: Four GOP lawmakers want to Nullify LGBT Nondiscrimination Laws

Matt Shaheen

Four Texas GOP lawmakers want to null and void LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances in the entire state.

If passed, this bill will kill existing ordinances, nullifying existing protections from 7.5 million people.

Here's more:

The bill comes in response to the Plano City Council’s passage last month of an equal rights ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. There is legislation that’s being worked on,” Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) [photo] told a group of pastors who gathered in mid-December at Plano’s Prestonwood Baptist Church in response to passage of the city’s equal rights ordinance, according to an audio recording obtained by the Observer.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers in both the House and Senate have introduced proposed constitutional amendments—branded by progressives as “license to discriminate” measures—that would carve out broad religious exemptions to local anti-bias laws. But the Plano Republicans’ bill would need only simple majorities in both chambers, instead of two-thirds for a constitutional amendment. And the bill is effectively a nuclear option that could abruptly end fights in Houston and Plano. Other cities with LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances at risk of being nullified include Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth and San Antonio. In some cases, the laws are decades old.

Get it together, Texas!

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President Obama Signs Non-Discrimination Executive Order

Straight from the Press Release:

Today, President Obama announced that he would sign the long-awaited executive order barring LGBT discrimination in federal contracting, bringing explicit LGBT job protections for federal contractors in line with eighteen states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several federal agencies, and countless cities and municipalities nationwide.

Pride at Work interim Executive Director Jerame Davis issued the following statement:

"We are glad the president is taking this important step to protect federal contractor employees from discrimination on the job," said Davis. "But unfortunately for many Americans - especially in states with no employment discrimination protections - their only option for workplace protections is still a strong union contract.

"Congress still must act to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to ensure that all LGBT Americans are protected from workplace discrimination. Only 18 states currently ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity while three other states ban discrimination based on sexual orientation alone. With marriage equality sweeping the nation, it is unconscionable that gays and lesbians could still be fired for putting a photo of their legal spouse on their desk at work.“

He's doing it, folks

In San Antonio, TX: The City passed an LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance

San Antonio, Texas has taken a step forward.

The city just passed an LGBT non-discrimination ordinance in a vote of 8-3.

I guess that pubic prayer thing didn't work out... Oh, well.

And speaking of that drama, watch this mess

VIDEO: Gov. Bill Haslam - "We're not in favor of discrimination in any form at all"

In Tennessee, the Governor claimed he doesn't discriminate even though he signed the hateful HB600. I think he needs to check his Fuck & Wagnalls

Watch

The Tennessee HB600 Bill Drama heats up

After Gov. Haslam signed HB600, folks came out swinging. Abby Rubenfeld, an attorney in the Nashville area, says a lawsuit is on the way.  

"Yes, you can expect a lawsuit," Rubenfeld said. "We're working on it."
She wouldn't provide details but said a New York-based national firm would be assisting local attorneys in the suit. She also said they are finalizing plaintiffs and backers.

Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project states:

"We are disappointed that the majority in the General Assembly and the Governor have given their assent to SB632/HB600, which overturns a Metro non-discrimination ordinance, prevents any city or county in Tennessee from adopting a similar law, and redefines "sex" in the Tennessee code to the detriment of transgender people. You can't create jobs by allowing discrimination. And you can't say you're for smaller government when you take away the power of citizens to determine how their local tax dollars are used in government contracting. All Tennesseans deserve to be free of job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and we will continue to work toward that goal."

As I said in an earlier post,  many people expressed their anger towards this bill. Even, Deb Woolley, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry withdrew its support of this mess.

But According to Gov. Haslam, he was only doing the right thing for small businesses. See his statement:

"Through the legislative process, he expressed concerns about the state telling local governments what to do, but he also had concerns about local governments telling businesses what to do, especially the potential burden on small businesses. Ultimately, he felt the Metro ordinance went farther than federal law in regulating business policies."

This is only going to get interesting.

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WATCH: Family Action Council Hateful Ad supporting HB600/SB632

HB600/SB632 is the bill that strips away LGBT discrimination protections in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the weekend the word got out that the reps from several companies supported this bill and cause some netroots group to take action.

So far, some of those main companies has denounced the bill. But before all of that happened, the hate group Family Action Council released this ad to push the bill through over a month ago


Lies! Pure grain Lies!

Thanks for Scott for providing this info

Memphis City Council failed to Pass an ordinance to ban discrimination against Gays

After the 2nd attempt, Memphis City Council failed to pass an ordinance to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation by the city against employees.

Here's more:

The ordinance failed to gain the seven votes needed for approval on the Memphis City Council's consent agenda. 

If the minutes from Tuesday's vote are approved at the next council meeting, council rules prohibit the ordinance -- or one that is substantially similar -- from being heard for six months. 

Even though the ordinance failed, a study of discrimination in city government, including sexual orientation, will continue. 

"It's not dead," said Councilman Shea Flinn, who sponsored the ordinance and resolution. "We're still conducting the study and after six months, it will be back up for grabs." 

Flinn, Janis Fullilove, Edmund Ford Jr., Jim Strickland, Wanda Halbert and Myron Lowery voted to approve the ordinance on second reading. 

Council members Bill Boyd, Reid Hedgepeth and and Kemp Conrad voted against approval. Council members Joe Brown, Harold Collins and Bill Morrison did not vote. Councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware has been suspended from her seat after her felony indictment on a charge of official misconduct. 

Carolyn Witcover, who attended the council meeting in support of the ordinance, said the failure to approve the ordinance will harm the city's image, sending a message of "intolerance" to the world.
"It's their attempt to keep Memphis the old backwater it is," Witcover said. 

The ordinance has sparked heated debate since being introduced at City Hall. 

Some religious leaders have said they're in favor of the issue. Others, such as the Family Action Council of Tennessee, a faith-based organization that promotes the "traditional family," have opposed it. 

This is silly of Memphis, it needs to move forward and catch up with other major cities. The good news is, it will be back on the table in 6 months


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WATCH Michael Hildebrand fight for the LGBT Anti-Discrimination Ordinance in Memphis

This man is a true trooper

Maybe that's not the best answer, Gary Herbert.