Subject: NH Senate passes anti-discrimination bill

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 15:44:35 -0400 (EDT)

The New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill protecting the state's lgbt
community from discrimination in housing, jobs, and public accomodations.
  The Republican-dominated senate approved the measure (HB421) on a 13 to
nine vote making New Hampshire the tenth state to approve this legislation.
 The House of Representatives passed the bill earlier in the session on a 205
to 125 vote.

Senator Debora Pignatelli (D-Nashua) brought the bill to the floor on behalf
of the Senate's Internal Affairs Committee.  She told the 24-member chamber,
"We live in a state with the motto 'Live Free or Die'.  That means different
things for many people. This about freedom for ourselves, our families, and
others."

HB 421 had the support of many religious organizations, both Christian and
Jewish, including the Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester, who had previously
opposed the anti-discrimination measure.  There are several exemptions in the
bill allowing employers of six or fewer workers to remain unaffected by the
law, as well as private clubs, social, fraternal, charitable, educational or
religious associations or corporations.

Few opponents spoke out against this measure.  Senator Gary Francoeur
(R-Hudson) read from a several-paged prepared statement in which he said this
bill would pose a serious threat to boys and to employers in the state.  He
read off several examples of cases where gay people were laid off, and then
sued their former employers under anti-discrimination laws.

"HB421 could be a mighty weapon to use against employers.  America favors
equal rights not special rights for homosexuals."

But Senator Clesson Blaisdell (D-Keene) argued that discrimination has no
place in New Hampshire.  Blaisdell quoted an adage he learned in school.

"What God creates God does not hate.  We got to get rid of discrimination."

This affirmative vote of the New Hampshire Senate means the bill heads to the
desk of Governor Jeanne Shaheen who has pledged to sign it.   

Susan Gage
[email-masked]  

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