By James McNair
Reporter, CityBeat
When Republicans assume control of the Kentucky House of Representatives next month, the Bluegrass State could become the next state to put merchants’ “religious freedom” ahead of the sexual orientation of their customers.
A bill introduced in February by state Sen. Albert Robinson, R-London, would prohibit the passage of any laws, ordinances or regulations that infringe on the Constitutional rights — including freedom of religion – of people who sell “customized, artistic, expressive, creative, ministerial or spiritual goods and services.” It would reverse bans on sexual orientation discrimination in eight Kentucky cities and towns, including Covington.
Such measures have proven controversial in other states.
A 2015 North Carolina law that nullified the city of Charlotte’s fairness ordinance letting transgender people use the public bathroom of their choice cost the state business expansions, NCAA basketball tournament rounds and the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. The Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed into law last year by U.S. Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, led to similar blowback.
The Kentucky proposal, introduced as Senate Bill 180, was approved by the Republican-majority state Senate by a 22-to-16 vote on March 15. Among senators from Northern Kentucky, John Schickel of Boone County voted for the bill, while Chris McDaniel of Kenton County and Wil Schroder of Campbell County voted against it. The bill went to the Democratic-controlled state House and went nowhere.
But the Nov. 8 elections eliminated that last bastion of Democratic opposition in Kentucky. Voters gave Republicans control of the House for the first time since 1920, a 28-seat majority. The chance of a gubernatorial veto is slim, as Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is considered friendly to religious freedom issues.
Sen. Robinson told WFPL Radio in Louisville that he plans to reintroduce the bill, regardless of the fallout that occurred in North Carolina and Indiana.
“There’s more people that are backing down when they should not be backing down for the sake of the threats and the financial threats,” Robinson was quoted as saying. “And to me there’s some price that’s just not worth paying.”
Others want Kentucky to move in the opposite direction – toward the outlawing of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation statewide. More than 200 employers have incorporated such fairness provisions into their own policies. The group includes Kentucky juggernauts like Humana, Brown-Forman and UPS as well as Fifth Third Bank and PNC Financial and Anheuser-Busch. . .
See what others, including Covington mayor-elect Joe Meyer, have to say about this issue in the rest of the story at City Beat, here.
Contact reporter James McNair at jmcnair@citybeat.com