A “fairness ordinance” in a Nebraska city has triggered a firestorm, with one state pro-family organization claiming it will trample on First Amendment rights.
The Lincoln City Council, located in the state capital, passed the ordinance on Feb. 14, according to a report by the Lincoln Journal Star.
“This 67-page ordinance affects everyone in the city from churches and schools to your gym and local swimming pool. It’s a nonpartisan issue,” Karen Bowling, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance said in a Feb. 18 statement. “The ordinance penalizes citizens for expressing a worldview different from those currently in positions of political power.”
The group claimed in a Feb. 15 release that the 67-page ordinance was an effort to circumvent a referendum on a version of the bill that passed in 2012 that was tied up by a signature campaign.
“Our message is simple: Let Us Vote. The Lincoln City Council should not be allowed to circumvent the will of the citizens of Lincoln,” the group said.
The ordinance includes an expansion of the city’s ban on “conversion therapy” and expands the definition of harassment. The Lincoln Human Rights Commission, a nine-person panel, would be empowered to enforce the measure, according to the ordinance
“This ordinance is anything but fair – it should be called the ‘unfairness ordinance.’ It puts girls at risk by allowing men into girls’ bathrooms. It applies to private schools and not to public schools,” Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It prevents parents from helping their kids who are experiencing gender dysphoria. And it threatens to bankrupt families who instill traditional values on their children — anyone who disagrees could get fined up to $50,000.”
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Poster Comment:
“The ordinance penalizes citizens for expressing a worldview different from those currently in positions of political power.”
Just like Canada.
