Effort to pause HRO expansion debate fails, discussion continues

The ongoing debate over whether to expand Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance almost came to a halt Thursday.

During the first of three special “Council as a Whole” meetings to discuss two competing bills on the expansion, Councilwoman Lori Boyer said the Council now has a third option- to pause for several months.

Boyer says Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry opened the new path when he delivered his position late last week. The Mayor ordered his staff to bring policies relating to City government employment and vendors in to compliance with State and Federal anti-discrimination laws and, at the same time, said further expansion of the existing HRO would not be prudent. He issued the directive after hearing from the community and various experts in three of his own forums over the last few months.

Boyer asked the Council to withdraw the two bills up for debate to allow them to fully understand the impact of the Mayor’s directive. On a slim margin, that effort failed, with opponents saying they had promised the citizen of Jacksonville three public meetings and they intended to deliver on that promise.

“The process is what’s important now, that the public be heard, that the business community speaks,” says Councilman Tommy Hazouri.

Hazouri is the sponsor of the bill which would have Council decide on the issue- whether to specifically include anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in the current HRO. He turned to the Mayor’s directive as evidence there was more work to be done, saying that if City employees needed more protection, why did others- employees of private companies or those seeking housing and public accommodations- not deserve the same.

“We must include everybody. The buck doesn’t stop with City Hall, it stops with all of the community,”

He said that if the Council withdrew his bill, he would re-file “next week, next year, and as long as it takes” to create action.

Councilman Bill Gulliford, who supported the withdrawal effort, is the sponsor of the other bill- that would put the expansion issue to voters to decide. He says the Council voted several years ago against expansion, and it didn't stop the debate.

“I’m hearing the same old stuff I’ve heard over and over. Heard it in 2012, and now we’re hearing it again,” Gulliford says.

If the decision goes on a ballot, Gulliford believes it would settle the debate once and for all. If the Council decides, he thinks the debate would go on.

“If it fails, then everybody’s going to be back again in two years, four years, or whatever, so it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” he says.

Other Councilmen spoke through the debate as well. Council President Greg Anderson supported the motion to withdraw the bills because he wanted to see the impact of the Mayor’s action first. Councilmen Aaron Bowman and Jim Love- both co-sponsors of the Hazouri bill- both spoke of their military service, saying they risked their lives to protect everyone’s freedoms. Councilman Doyle Carter- a co-sponsor of Gulliford’s bill- says he’s concerned about the impact this has on small business and the legal liability it could create.

Just ahead of the meeting, the Jacksonville Civic Council issued a statement in support of full HRO expansion. The JAX Chamber has previously spoken in support of expansion, and had several reps at the Council’s meeting Thursday as well.

During the next meeting, which is February 18^th, Council will hear from more experts on either side of the issue as well as the City's General Counsel, while getting a chance to ask questions and hear more from the public.

The meeting capped public comment at an hour, but the Council Chamber was full of people on both sides of the issues. The speakers who didn't get a chance to voice their thoughts will be given the first opportunity to speak at the next public meeting.  The special Council as a Whole will meet then and on March 3^rd, at which point there will be a vote.