LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s Republican Governor Dave Heineman said Tuesday that voters should have a voice on the recently enacted city ordinances that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT people.
The Lincoln, Neb., City Council May 14 approved expanding the city’s civil rights protections to include its LGBT citizens. The Lincoln ordinance covers employment, housing and public accommodations.
Dave Heineman
In March, the Omaha city council approved a similar non-discrimination ordinance that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“I think in both cases … they should put it to the vote of the people,” Heineman said, citing a recent attorney general’s opinion that says the cities would have to amend their city charters to offer such protections to groups not covered by state law.
In Lincoln, the measure is already being challenged.
Two conservative right wing christian advocacy groups said they will organize a petition drive to stop the proposal from going into effect until there is a city-wide vote on the issue, reported the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Al Riskowski, executive director of Nebraska Family Council, told the Journal-Star that his group is hoping to collect the required 2,500 signatures from registered voters by the May 29 deadline.
Under a provision of the city’s charter, the coalition has just 15 days to collect the signatures.
“We know we have over 200 petitioners out there,” and most petitions coming back have about 20 signatures, Riskowski said. “That makes us very hopeful we can get enough signatures.”
Many churches had petitions available after services last week, including all of the local Catholic churches and some Lutheran ones, he said.
Supporters of the ordinances claim that such legal protections are necessary because there is real discrimination.
Twenty-seven percent of 770 Nebraskans participating in a 2011 online survey said they had experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace in the past five years because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
But opponents claim the ordinances will require them to abandon their faith.
Related articles:
Anti-gay groups collect signatures to force vote on discrimination ordinance
Lincoln, Neb., city council adds LGBT protections to civil rights ordinance
Lincoln, Neb., moves forward with proposed expansion of city's civil rights ordinance
Omaha mayor signs employment non-discrimination ordinance
Omaha city council approves workplace non-discrimination ordinance
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I call for a popular vote on his salary, benefits, and pension.
*facepalm*
These soulless idiots will stop at nothing to ruin our lives.
Rights should NEVER be put up to any vote.
one does not vote on rights, that is why they are called rights!
OMG!
I hate hearing stories like this. No Civil Right has been advanced by a popular vote
Your right Carl!
RIGHTS should NOT be voted on
So, there’s no protection for gay folks? WTF I thought we all were protected by law?
to bad the city did it he can keep hisd useless trap shut and out of it
I call on a national vote to remove Nebraska from the union.
Zane, you have no idea how common that misconception is. In MOST places in the US, gay and transgender citizens ARE NOT protected from discrimination in housing, employment and access to public accommodations.
Hmm. Vote on people’s rights. What could possibly go wrong with that? Unfortunately, it’s unconstitutional. Someone needs to mail him a copy of the Romer case. Maybe we should all bury him under an avalanche of copies. . .
I know this is unconstitutional…so how are they able to get away with it?
hey !! Im from Nebraska this dick might not care about the LGBT but come to my state us Nebraskans treat people right gay straight whatever Ive never had a problem and Im Gay and proud in fact the highschool I graduated from has the largest Gay Straight alliance in the U.S. look it up
Rob, you must be a Coloradan, hi, neighbor. I was going there myself. They haven’t forgotten Romer v. Evans, but they hope their voters never knew about it. They may also be counting on a different SCOTUS make-up to green-light it this time.
At least the people of Nebraska will have a role in this decision rather than having a law-whichever side the law comes down on-shoved doen their throats. I think more states should have such issues put to a vote and, while they are at it,keep out of state intersts and money out of their election process.
This bitch needs to come out the closet…
Rights should NEVER be put up to popular vote! Wtf is wrong with you?!? Yeah you asshole!
This isn’t a popularity contest. Rights shouldn’t be judged like a beauty contest. No surprise a brilliant Republican came up with this.
He needs to be removed from office.
Agreed, this is NOT something that should be determined by popular vote.
Face palm; I cannot fathom how it allegedly makes sense to single out a minority, place ordinances giving said minority protection from discrimination on a “popular vote” then proclaim democracy has spoken if said minority loses these protections!
Since *when* have the rights of all people within any nation been respected without laws to protect minorities from harassment or worse and thus give them tools under law to fight back when they are treated unfairly?? This is a human condition not an issue confined to any specific country.
Protecting people who face discrimination is an appropriate role for government – at any level. It is not appropriate to turn such efforts over to the public for a vote. The tyranny of the majority should never be allowed to determine the rights of any non-majority person or group.
Why do I live in Nebraska? Why????
Transgenders need protection too. They face harassment and workplace bullying because of their differnces. Imagine county employees referring to transgendered people as its or things. Yes it happened in Worcester County, Maryland. Everytime I see it everyone should know about it. Our taxes pay their salaries and they should respect all people, not just a selct few with extra pennies in their pocket.