Salina Voters To Decide On Ordinance Change
KSAL Staff - Mon 05:12 PM 09/10/2012
Salina voters will decide in November whether or not to repeal an addition to an ordinance that prohibits discrimination of gay, lesbian, or transgender residents in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.
Voters will decide in November whether or not to repeal an addition to an ordinance that prohibits discrimination of gay, lesbian, or transgender residents in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.
City Commissioners by a 3 - 2 vote decided to not repeal the ordinance. The vote to repeal on Monday was prompted by a petition drive in which enough signatures were gathered.
Mayor Norm Jennings and Commissioner Samantha Angell both voted to overturn the addition to the ordinance. Neither Vice Mayor Barb Shirley, nor Commissioners Aaron Householter or Kaye Crawford provided a third vote that was needed to overturn the ordinance change.
Following the vote, commissioners then voted unanimously to put it on the ballot in the November general election.
The issue has been a contentious one in Salina since the Spring.
Back on May 14th , by a 3 - 2 vote, Salina City Commissioners elected to change the anti-discrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The ordinance prohibits discrimination of gay, lesbian, or transgender residents in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.
The vote in May was the culmination of several months of discussion, and public meetings on the issue. As part of the process, the city hosted three public forums on the issue.
The Salina Human Relations Commission also twice discussed the issue. Those commissioners voted 7 - 1 to recommend that the city pass the ordinance change.
A group of people opposed to the ordinance change began a petition drive. They delivered that petition on August 23rd, asking for the repeal of the ordinance addition.
City Commissioners Monday had two choices. They could repeal the ordinance change, or they could put it to a public vote.
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troy
Monday 10 September 2012 18:23 Report this comment
And now OUR voices shall be heard. As it should have been to begin with.
Viper
Monday 10 September 2012 18:43 Report this comment
I don't get it. Why do people want to discriminate against Gays and Lesbians? Can't we all just get along, besides if people do discriminate there will be a lot of lawsuits in Saline County.
troy
Monday 10 September 2012 19:11 Report this comment
This isn't about a desire to discriminate. It's all about the voters deciding and not the city council. If the voters elect to uphold the ordinance then so be it. If the voters elect to vote it down then so be it. This is how the system was designed to work.
troy
Monday 10 September 2012 19:12 Report this comment
This is a democracy. Not a dictatorship.
dmid-west
Monday 10 September 2012 20:34 Report this comment
Amen,,,,,let the people vote. BTY,,this is a representitive government,,(and to the republic for which it stands), not a democracy.
Iamgonnagetu
Monday 10 September 2012 22:13 Report this comment
Great now the people can get rid of it in November. Then we can get rid of Aaron Barb and Kaye. These 3 caused all of this by not letting the people decide in the first place.
RedNeckWatch
Monday 10 September 2012 23:33 Report this comment
Yet another VICTORY!!!!!! Home free now. God Bless!
grnthums
Monday 10 September 2012 23:47 Report this comment
"God Bless!" Hate and ignorance.
RedNeckWatch
Tuesday 11 September 2012 03:14 Report this comment
No, God bless yet another VICTORY for the LGBT community and equal rights for everyone, God bless the majority vote to reject hate and ignorance. God bless all haters that they might repent and accept Jesus Christ as their perusal Lord and Savior.
tracr
Tuesday 11 September 2012 06:28 Report this comment
I personally hope that we could overturn every law creating a "protected class" of individuals. Why should a person or business not be able to refuse service to anyone for any reason? These types of laws are full of good intentions, but what ends up happening is the people who benefit, the "protected class", now feels that they deserve anything they want and anyone who denies them anything is discriminating. Isn't it better to call on decent individuals to boycott a business that discriminates or picket them like the old days? To me, it just sounds like a bunch of people who want a nanny government to kiss their boo-boos and make the mean old neighbor kids play nice. Grow a pair and handle life's problems on your own.
koniginb71
Tuesday 11 September 2012 06:33 Report this comment
Now if we can just get those angry white republican men to put equal pay, reproductive rights on a national ballot.....VOTE OBAMA!!!
BC
Tuesday 11 September 2012 07:34 Report this comment
You know why we are angry white republican men? Because of stupid liberal democratic women like youself. Reproductive Rights and equal pay, give me a break
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 11 September 2012 07:48 Report this comment
I find it amazing that any gay person would be ignorant enought after weeks of spouting off on here that this ordinance would never be put to a vote to come out and say victory. Everyone for this ordinance has yet to provide one case of discrimination concerning employment or housing here in Salina. That alone shows they do not need special ordinances made for their lifestyle. There just cannot be a individual ordinance made for every lifestyle out there.
GETALIFE674
Tuesday 11 September 2012 08:47 Report this comment
On a political level, some of the resentment is understandable. Gay activists have aligned themselves with feminists, and, while marching in misandric lockstep, have draped themselves in victim couture and made their grab for special government considerations. The resultant draconian intrusions and bullying on behalf of gays and other special interest groups is a core issue in the men’s movement, and for good reason. Heterosexual males are the societal default for the role of perpetrator and are subsequently the identified enemy for whatever victims du jour have the stage at the moment. Just more misandry in a culture that seems to run on it these days.
GETALIFE674
Tuesday 11 September 2012 08:48 Report this comment
But while the politics of this may have helped structure a façade of improvement for gay men, it has actually revealed something about their political agenda that becomes more apparent with each public campaign. They have no idea who their real enemies are. No, not a freaking clue. And that ignorance sets up them up to lose more rights than they could ever hope to gain.
GETALIFE674
Tuesday 11 September 2012 08:52 Report this comment
I also agree these 3 commissioners need to go. Not only because of this issue but also for the monies spent on the art projects. They had a chance to cancel the statue when the artist could not produce it on time but they did not. Then they approved another 50k for a base to put it on. I guess I never have seen a 50k concrete slab. These 3 so-called commissioners do not have the best for our community at heart just their personal agenda's.
smiiles93
Tuesday 11 September 2012 08:55 Report this comment
We are human beings nothing less, if discriminators really wanna hate.. then tell people to stop having homosexual babies! We're born this way.
The_Law
Tuesday 11 September 2012 09:56 Report this comment
I find it laughable that a gay teenager can be bullied in school and sue the district for not protecting him, yet the adults can discriminate in this case. All this will take is one lawsuit against an employer or landlord, a lawyer out to make a name for himself/herself and six years to run through the court system to the Supreme Court. The Constitution originally designated state legislatures to elect Senators, because the framers felt it was too important to leave it up to the general public. They felt an educated, well informed group would make better decisions. In other words, voting on issues like this is essentially mob rule.
pops67401
Tuesday 11 September 2012 10:07 Report this comment
Glad to see this going to a public vote. i have seen more hate and ignorant rantings from supporters of this than I have anyone against it. Even my gay friends can't believe how some of their fellow gays are acting. And you know what? Not one of my gay friends can name a time that being gay prevented them from renting a place or getting a job. NOT ONE
The_Law
Tuesday 11 September 2012 10:09 Report this comment
This is a clear cut Constitutional question of denying citizen rights based on sexual orientation. The science is clear that homosexuality is NOT learned behavior, just as sex (male/female) is determined in utero. Religion is learned behavior yet it is protected. Race is not learned and is protected. Individual liberties are protected for all except the gay and lesbian community. This does not make sense. It is a violation of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If it is a moral issue you want to push, then why don't you go after adulterers and unmarried couples living together. Those two moral issues will affect you, the way your kids grow up perceiving society, and your school system that has to help children growing up with one parent, long before gays and lesbians affect your daily lives.
The_Law
Tuesday 11 September 2012 10:11 Report this comment
This is a clear cut Constitutional question of denying citizen rights based on sexual orientation. The science is clear that homosexuality is NOT learned behavior, just as sex (male/female) is determined in utero. Religion is learned behavior yet it is protected. Race is not learned and is protected. Individual liberties are protected for all except the gay and lesbian community. This does not make sense. It is a violation of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If it is a moral issue you want to push, then why don't you go after adulterers and unmarried couples living together. Those two moral issues will affect you and the way your kids grow up perceiving society, long before gays and lesbians affect your daily lives.
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 11 September 2012 17:27 Report this comment
Law quit coping off the internet and putting it on here. You were dead wrong on the peta thing with the fair when you did the same thing.
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 11 September 2012 17:31 Report this comment
Smiles there is no definately proof that gays are born that way. You came down on old people in another post you made and they get discriminated against more than gays do.
THEENFORCER
Tuesday 11 September 2012 23:32 Report this comment
Wow now they are born that way. Since 2 gays cannot have kids how can a gay result from 2 straight people. I would go along with gays having some mental disorder that causes them to like the same sex but being born that way is to hard of a sell.
THEENFORCER
Tuesday 11 September 2012 23:38 Report this comment
back to this story. I agree all 3 of these city commissioners need to be removed. Kaye Crawfords comment were in poor taste. There are many more young people of all nationalities being killed every day and she puts mor importance on the gays. Maybe she needs to meet with a family that has lost their son over there. How can this woman be elected to the city commission in the first place? Kaye give us one instance of a complaint being filed prior to this ordiance. I guess older people become more ignorant when they reach her age and tend to do and say stupid things.
THEENFORCER
Tuesday 11 September 2012 23:40 Report this comment
How come old Barb has that same bored look on her face everytime they take her picture. She wanted to be on the commission so what's her problem?
ConservativeR
Wednesday 12 September 2012 16:42 Report this comment
There are a few people on this blog that support repealing the ordinance, but I have yet to talk to a single person who plans to vote to repeal the ordinance. I was at the club the other night and a very large group of people were talking politics. When the ordinance came up, not a single person thought it should be repealed. I tend to agree that the vote is a waste of time and taxpayer money.
RedNeckWatch
Thursday 13 September 2012 03:14 Report this comment
What makes getdumber and enploded experts on "gays" discrimination and "gays" lifestyle. Hummmm. I get it. And as for the genetics post, it is clear they skipped biology. Just look around and see all the different kind of people you get when two sets of genes are combined. To suggest that homosexuality is not one of those genetic combinations is idiotic. In fact, there is no evidence that being gay is anything except genetic -- none. Thankfully the vast majority of people in Salina and around the US are smarter and believe in American values and support equal rights for the LGBT community. I guess now we know what kind of ignorance and stupidity Martin Luther King overcame to bring equal rights to African Americans. March onward to VICTORY Christian soldiers. God bless you.
amandascute
Saturday 15 September 2012 18:29 Report this comment
glade i don't live there whats next after taking away gay,lesbian and transgendered rights, women can't vote anymore how about they stay home have babies they don't need to go to school. maybe african americans can go back to being slaves where will it end. giving this group the same rights that everyone takes for granted. makes you think