A West Virginia lawmaker’s anti-gay bill that would ban local cities and towns from enforcing non-discrimination ordinances got a negative response from leadership in both chambers.
After an hour of heated debate on Wednesday, the West Virginia House Committee on Government Organization passed a bill that strips the right of local governments to pass or enforce non-discrimination ordinances. The vote was 16-8.
Republican Rep. Lynn Arvon, Chairwoman of the committee, is the sponsor of the anti-gay legislation that she masked as a commerce bill. HB 2881, the West Virginia Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act, was filed on Monday, scheduled Tuesday night, and voted on in committee Wednesday, displaying Republican desire to push it through without time for factual debate.
But Rep. Arvon, who is also sponsoring another anti-gay bill, got what was likely a surprisingly negative reception despite the bill’s passage.
First, on Thursday, from the other half of the West Virginia legislature, a resounding “no.”
“Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael says there’s ‘no way’ the Senate will consider a proposal to nullify local ordinances that protect gay and transgender people from housing and employment discrimination,” the AP reported Thursday. Local Charleston station WVNSTV reported Carmichael also said, “We have no appetite for any type of a bill that discriminates, provides prejudice or preferences to any type of class in West Virginia.“
Arvon’s bill was scheduled for a hearing in the full House Friday morning, but overnight there was a new development.
“HB 2881 has been pulled from the house floor and referred to the house government organization committee,” WVNSTV reported at about 4 AM Friday, adding, “Delegate Stephen Skinner, D- Jefferson, is the only openly gay state lawmaker. He opposes the bill and said it’s ‘legislative gay bashing.'”
Given the Senate majority leader has said he will refuse to bring the bill for a vote, and given that the bill was kicked back to committee even after passage, it’s now unlikely it will advance.
On Thursday, Rep. Arvon claimed the bill’s opponents “are waging obscene attacks and threats of violence against me and my colleagues.”Â
In a statement, Arvon insisted “the legislation does not contain language that in anyway demonstrates discrimination against any individual or class of people.” She also offered her interpretation of the bill’s purpose, claiming it “aids citizens and businesses throughout the State of West Virginia by bringing uniformity and predictability to nondiscrimination laws and obligations throughout the state.”
The bill is almost an exact copy of one the became law in Arkansas this week, and one Texas is currently debating. Â
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