Put on hold by its first City Council committee Monday, legislation that would ban sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations could have the necessary votes to pass, said Council member Warren Jones, the bill’s sponsor.
“It’s going to be close,” said Jones following Monday’s Rules Committee meeting. “We hope to get 10 or 11, that’s what those lobbying on behalf of the group are saying.”
Council has 19 members.
The issue drew about six hours of public comment during its May 24 public hearing, with the majority speaking on behalf of the legislation.
Monday’s meeting was the first opportunity Council had to discuss and act on the legislation and drew a larger-than-normal crowd of both proponents and opponents of the legislation.
The committee discussed the issue for more than an hour before deferring action and discussion until its next meeting in two weeks due to time constraints.
As originally written, the bill would amend several chapters of the ordinance code to insert protections for sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in the listings of personal conditions or statuses.
Jones offered a five-part amendment Monday that would strike the gender identity or expression portion, clarify religious exemptions, add language referencing the U.S. Constitution, add the existing municipal code language and clarify that the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission will undertake hearings on filed complaints.
Jones said he believed the amendment would add clarity to the measure.
“This bill has been demonized and criticized for things it does not do,” he said.
In addition to religious exemptions, the bill also would exempt small business owners with fewer than 15 employees, a number for which Council member Clay Yarborough sought clarification. In response, he was told the number is unilateral among all the various protected conditions and statuses and Jones said he preferred to keep the number uniform.
Public comment was not offered, but Council members were able to call upon audience members for questions.
University of North Florida President John Delaney, an advocate for the legislation, spoke about the group that helped push for it. In addition, an attorney in support of the measure described a ruling from December that he said indicated such protections were already in place.
Several other attorneys who spoke against the legislation were called upon to explain their opinions on how the legislation violated the rights of some business owners and those with religious viewpoints.
The legislation is scheduled to be on today’s Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee agenda at 2 p.m.
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