Labor Department asked to withdraw new LGBT workplace protections

[Omaha Steve]

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https://www.metroweekly.com/2014/12/labor-department-asked-to-withdraw-new-lgbt-workplace-protections/


Patricia Shiu – Credit: Labor Department

By Justin Snow on December 5, 2014

Two Republican congressmen who work on employment issues are calling on the Labor Department to withdraw a new rule prohibiting federal contractors from LGBT workplace discrimination.

Reps. John Kline (Minn.), chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Tim Walberg (Mich.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, requested the Labor Department allow a 60-day public comment period for the rule announced earlier this week in a letter to the office tasked with enforcing the new protections.

“We understand the public was not afforded an opportunity to submit comments as provided under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA),” the two Republican congressman wrote. “Public comment is essential to all rulemakings. Section 553 of the APA requires general notice of proposed rulemaking to ‘give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making through submission of written data, views, or arguments.’ As such, we request the public be afforded at least 60 days to comment on the regulations implementing EO 13672 prior to issuance of a final rule.”

The letter, dated Dec. 3, the same day the new rule was announced by the Labor Department, is addressed to Patricia Shiu, director of the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

FULL story at link.