Kansas Senate Committee in favor of banning discrimination on basis of sexual orientation

[proud2BlibKansan]

Senate Committee Recomends the Employment Non-Discrimination Act for Passage
The Kansas Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, on a 5-3 vote, recommended the full Senate approve a measure to make sure no one could be fired from their job for being nothing other than gay.

Republican Senators Tim Owens, Pete Brungardt and Roger Reitz voted yes, along with Democrats Marci Francisco and Oletha Faust-Goudeau. Republicans Steve Abrams, Ralph Ostmeyer and Dennis Pyle voted no, while Republican & Senate President Steve Morris was not present.

From the Kansas Equality Coalition:

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted today in favor of forbidding discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

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In August 2007, Governor Kathleen Sebleius extended such protection to many state employee, but this bill would apply throughout the state, in both public and private sectors.

"Kansans should not have to live in fear that they might lose a job because of prejudice," said Maggie Childs, Chair of the Kansas Equality Coalition. "The bill is sorely needed by a small but vulnerable population."

This is an excellent step in the right direction- and a long one in the making. This bill has been introduced in some form in every legislative session since 2005, and this is the first time it has made it out of committee.

Just to remind people, in January of 2008, 79% of Kansans said they do not think a person should be able to be fired from a job just because they are gay or lesbian.

From what I've been told, the bill will almost certainly not come up for final action in the Senate this year, and instead will be held over for action in 2010. That's another year away, but, in the end, any movement in the right direction is the right kind of movement.

http://kansasjackass.blogspot.com/2009/03/seante-committee-recomends-employment.html

[dsc]

1. amazing

both that the bill passed a committee with significant GOP support and the poll showing that over 70% of Kansans agree with the bill.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. My senator voted yes

And he is a Republican. Go figure.

He voted the wrong way on education funding though.

[dsc]

3. sadly can't win them all

as a gay teacher I would rank those votes about equal but still at least one win is nice.