Nevada Senate approves anti-discrimination bill

Jennifer Coleman

Friday, May 21, 1999 | 9:12 a.m.

CARSON CITY - On-the-job discrimination based on sexual orientation would be banned in Nevada, under a bill approved 13-8 in the state Senate.

Assemblyman David Parks, the only openly gay member of the Nevada Legislature, sponsored AB311, which would expand existing law barring discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, disability or nationality.

The measure was approved Thursday and returned to the Assembly, which already endorsed the plan, for concurrence in an amendment. AB311 cleared the upper house despite two attempts by conservative senators to stifle the bill.

Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, and Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, asked to amend the bill to exempt, among others, civic leagues, social and recreation groups and child-care organizations.

That amendment was voted down, along with another proposal by Washington and Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, to delay it until Congress enacts similar legislation.

O'Donnell said the bill would cost the state money because the caseload of the state Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would increase. He called the bill "unfair and financially irresponsible."

And victims of racial discrimination would be pushed aside by EEOC for sexual discrimination cases, he added.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, objected to the amendment, asking, "Why is it OK to discriminate now, but not once the federal government acts?"

"Either you believe it's acceptable to discriminate in the workplace, or you do not," she said.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said the cost would be negligible.

"If you don't violate it, there's no cost. The goal is to change the behavior of people who discriminate. It's simple," he said.

Voting against AB311 were Sens. O'Donnell, O'Connell, Washington, Mark Amodei of Carson City, Lawrence Jacobsen of Minden; Mike McGinness of Fallon, Jon Porter of Boulder City, and Ray Rawson of Las Vegas. They're all Republicans.

The bill passed the Assembly earlier on a 30-11 vote. The amendment the Assembly must now consider exempts organizations like the Boy Scouts of America.