Written by: Jim Hansen
Monday, January 28, 2008

It was an historic day on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as Rep. Nicole LeFavour pointed out in her blog. (She has an excellent blog) The Idaho legislature made history by printing a bill that actually used the words "sexual orientation and gender identity." The bill  - Senate Bill 1323 - makes a simple addition to the Idaho Human Rights Act, is being promoted by the Idaho Human Rights Commission and is co-sponsored by Reps. LeFavour, Carlos Bilbao and Les Bock and Sens. Tim Corder, Chuck Coiner and David Langhorst. It would make it illegal to for an employer of 5 or more employees to fire someone simply because they are gay or to deny them housing or education. Religious groups are exempted.

Unfortunately, there are legislators who are too uptight to even sit through a hearing on the bill and want it killed without a hearing. With most bills, lawmakers vote for or against them AFTER the public has had a chance to weigh in at a public hearing. Chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, Sen. Curtis McKenzie, however, told his home town paper he wants a majority of his committee to commit to vote for the bill BEFORE he will schedule a hearing!

I encourage everyone who is offends by this blatant misuse of power to contact Sen. McKenzie and tell him so. He represents a district in Nampa and practices law in Boise at Augustine and McKenzie Law Offices, 1004 W Fort St, Boise, 83702. The numbers he lists to contact him are: Home (208) 468-1027, Business (208)367-9400 and FAX (208) 947-0014.

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