Antidiscrimination Study Announced by Rep. Christine Johnson
Representative Christine Johnson, D– Salt Lake City and Senator Howard Stephenson, R– Draper, announced today a moratorium on all legislative bills related to anti-discrimination in the LGBT community. Representative Johnson also introduced a bill which requires a study by a legislative interim committee of public policy related to discrimination in employment and housing.
Representative Johnson has been in negotiations with House and Senate Republicans to produce compromise legislation in an attempt to unite Democrats and Republicans, Mormons and non-Mormons, Gay and Straight, to continue the "peaceful progress that has been made since Salt Lake City passed an anti-discrimination ordinance," Johnson said in a statement.
"This bipartisan bill puts all bills relating to preemption, adherence, employment and housing non-discrimation, as well as LGBT adoption and wrongful death to bed for the remainder of the session," she stated.
Johnson reiterated that this legislation does not mean that opposing sides are abandoning their respective legislative goals.
"It does mean that democrats and republicans have mutually agreed that further edification and understanding on all sides of the issue is necessary," she said. "Sharing our state means respecting differences of belief and opinion."
Watch this afternoon's news conference, below.
