Petition To Repeal Salina Ordinance Change Delivered
KSAL Staff - Tue 12:17 PM 08/21/2012
Organizers delivered 2,325 signatures
A group of people opposed to a controversial ordinance change in Salina that protects gay, lesbian, and transgender citizens from discrimination delivered a petition Tuesday.
Awaken Salina and the Kansas Family Policy Council delivered 2,325 petition signatures. The signatures collected represent over 1, 000 in excess of the 1,297 valid signatures required.
Saline County Clerk Don Merriman tells KSAL News that his office will begin to validate the signatures. Each must be a registered voter in the city of Salina. He says that it could be early next week before he is finished. He says that once he reaches 1,297 valid signatures he will stop.
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 May 14th meeting 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.
If at least 1, 297 signatures are validated on the petition, the city commission will have to either rescind the ordinance change, or schedule a public vote within 90 days. The vote more than likely would be part of the November general election.
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troy
Tuesday 21 August 2012 12:22 Report this comment
Outstanding! Let the VOTERS decide, as it should have happened to begin with.
2gud4u
Tuesday 21 August 2012 12:49 Report this comment
Its kinda funny people vote for stuff. When no matter how many votes there are everything is rigged and the ruling is already decided. Its kinda pointless to vote.
ksfarmdude
Tuesday 21 August 2012 12:55 Report this comment
I hope they get this turned around the city commission is a push-over let the voters decide these issuses to important for a handful of liberals
justamom
Tuesday 21 August 2012 13:33 Report this comment
What a stupid issue for people to get worked up about. Let people be who they are and why discriminate at all?
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 21 August 2012 14:04 Report this comment
I bet commissioners Aaron and Barb dreaded this day after being starch supporters of this ordinance. Now the people can speak if our elected commissioners still are not smart enought to do the right thing. If the commissioners push this to a vote the we need not vote for them ever again.
AverageJoAnn
Tuesday 21 August 2012 14:42 Report this comment
@troy! Outstanding? Let the tax payers pay the Clerks office to count the votes and then the tax payers pay to put this on the ballot? Sounds like money coming out of my pocket! Let people just live their lives and have the right to fair housing and jobs without discrimination!!!
taz69
Tuesday 21 August 2012 14:42 Report this comment
Where were you when they outlawed smoking in bars? We need a nanny to teach the kindergarteners how to play nice.
Freewill
Tuesday 21 August 2012 16:01 Report this comment
AverageJoAnn, that is their job. If you are so worried about money why did you not stand up and complain when they spent thousands on studies? Let people live their lives without being labeled and grouped into collectives.
THEENFORCER
Tuesday 21 August 2012 16:07 Report this comment
Average.JoAnn where the hell were you when these gay people were pushing for town meetings? Surely you do not think that was free or all the time staff spent on looking at this or the police that were at these events. Who payed for that nonsense?. These people were living their lives before this gal wanted to run for office so she took on this agenda to get her name out in front of people. She knew chances were she did not stand a chance unless her name became recognizable. If you remember correctly there never was a complaint made about anyone treating these people different from anyone else.
Family1st
Tuesday 21 August 2012 16:27 Report this comment
Unless someone is PLANNING on being a bigot, I'm not sure why this is even an issue. It's sad to have an ordinance against discrimination in the first place, respect for all is what we are taught in kindergarten so what does that say about us as adults? To each is own, but I think if just the time and effort spent collecting these signatures would have been spent volunteering for their respective churches, DVACK, the local food bank, schools, hospitals, or any other charitable causes, the impact on our community would have been great.
troy
Tuesday 21 August 2012 20:13 Report this comment
The point of issue is and has always been the voters should have made this decision. Not a few folks sitting at a table with an agenda. Something is wrong when the few have far more rights than the many. If I do not wish to hire you or rent you a house for whatever reason, then I should not be forced to do just that. Let's turn the table around. Let's find a homosexual business owner and force him to hire a bunch of outspoken Christians. Don't start crying about it, too damn bad. Hire them or go to jail. Let's find a lesbian landlord and force her to rent to a bunch of Iranian, Shariah law believing, Muslim extremists......just shut up! Too damn bad! Meet your new tenants.
BobBowser
Tuesday 21 August 2012 20:47 Report this comment
"... protects gay, lesbian, and transgender citizens from discrimination..." is a lie... this ordinance further erodes property rights and the free exercise of religion... it has nothing to do with discrimination. Those who hang their hat on that theme have been deceived into supporting something that while giving extra priviledges to one group takes freedoms away from all and grows government control over our lives. "Don't eat my sacred cow" is NOT a good rule to follow... When legislating morality one must consider all sides and the ramifications of such actions. Government was never intended to intrude into private business and was FORBIDDEN from intereferring with religion.
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 21 August 2012 23:21 Report this comment
Family1st the argument you bring up can be said for those who pushed for this ordinance to begin with as they spent a bunch more time then those getting signatures.
RedNeckWatch
Tuesday 21 August 2012 23:26 Report this comment
No Constitutional or Biblical scholars here. Just a few fear and hate mongers who will NEVER be satisfied and who will lose this issue either in the voting booth or Supreme Court. Poll after poll indicates that the overwhelming majority of people support equal rights for everyone, and the courts are now following suit. Kansas is the laughing stock of the nation surrounding this and other hot button issue, like teaching creationism versus evolution.
THEENFORCER
Wednesday 22 August 2012 00:25 Report this comment
Evidently the so called hate mongers have affected redneck as these are the only terms he or she uses. We citizens have a right to hire who we want to work for us and who we want to rent to. None of us should be forced into doing something we do not wish to do.
GETALIFE674
Wednesday 22 August 2012 00:50 Report this comment
Hooray its about time. What will these commissioners do now? I figure they will sent it to vote and spent more taxpayer monies. Remember folks they could have cancelled the $250k art deal when the artist did not have it here when it was supposed to be. They let that slip by then spend another $50K for a base to put it on. 50k for a slab on concrete someone's making out on this.
masterjace
Wednesday 22 August 2012 07:39 Report this comment
Too bad some of you on here are so afraid and scared that you have to create other ID's to come on and try to back yourself up all the time, at least according to the IP address and the names of the owners that your ISP has on file. NO it is not that hard to check up, just take the radio truck around town and check the airwaves and no it's not illegal either. So should I list who is who? Iamgonnagetu, Family1st, or would you like me to stop by your home to talk about that porn on your computers and what else your doing on-line.
Iamgonnagetu
Wednesday 22 August 2012 08:38 Report this comment
Bring in on gay boy. Good ploy with your BS. I am just myself do not need to play games like the others do. If you want to make accusations then back it up and see what you are in for. Will be waiting for your visit.
Iamgonnagetu
Wednesday 22 August 2012 11:31 Report this comment
Masterjace where the hell are you big shot? Did your little truck break down? I was waiting to do what they call a beat down on you. Your just full of BS.
RedNeckWatch
Wednesday 22 August 2012 15:31 Report this comment
Same old hate-mongering from Mo (gonnagetu) and Curly (enforcer) -- smokin in the mens room. Did you ever stop to think that someone is baiting you to "keep up the good work" commenting on this site? And GetaLife, you do have the right to hire whoever you want to hire, as long as you don't violate any of the anti-discrimaintion laws in the process. If you do violate the anti-discrimaintion laws, then we can take all of your money to pay the judgment and your comments here will be admissible in evidence against you. There are several parties already preparing lawsuits against 2 known people commenting on this site, and it will be interesting to see if those people stop commenting once the suits are filed. Were are "gonngetu."
Iamgonnagetu
Thursday 23 August 2012 08:42 Report this comment
Bring it on redneck or masterjace which ever you are today. You or anyone else leaves themselves open as well including KSAL if names are printed of any person on here illegally. As a matter of fact I hope to have your name and address shortly. See you soon.
RedNeckWatch
Thursday 23 August 2012 09:58 Report this comment
Shows how stupid you are gonnagetu. A subpoena will work fine to out you you yellow belly troll. It will be a pleasure to catch up with you finally. I am sure histoy will repeat itself too, you will turn tail and run like a chicken. Keep you hateful bs to yourself. You are an embarrassment to the human race you P@#*y.
Iamgonnagetu
Friday 24 August 2012 17:43 Report this comment
Hey dummy bring it on you yellow belly sap sucker. I told you this before the best part of you ran down your daddy's leg. But then again you do not know who your daddy is it could even be me.