Equality State Policy Center director Dan Neal reports on an effort to counter anti-gay marriage legislation and instead strengthen the state’s anti-discriminatory statutes. Neal also reports that SF 13, which would have blocked voters from changing their party affiliation within 90 days of a primary election, was snuffed on Tuesday.
During its first two weeks of the session, much of the legislature’s attention focused on marriage and whether the state should recognize gay and lesbian marriages legally made outside Wyoming. Tuesday morning, Rep. Cathy Connolly shepherded a bill through the House Judiciary Committee that will make it illegal in Wyoming to discriminate against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“I consider this bill simple yet profound,” Connolly (D-HD13, Laramie) told the committee. House Bill 142 – Discrimination adds the words “sexual orientation or gender identity in all state laws that have anti-discrimination clauses.
For example, Wyoming statute 19-14-107 creases the veterans’ commission and outlines its composition and terms of commissioners.
“Appointments shall be made without regard to political affiliation, sex, religion or ethnic background,” the statute now reads. Connolly’s bill will insert the words “sexual orientation or gender identify” between the words sex and religion in that statute.
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