Staff Report
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — After the full Senate refused to hear a bill extending civil rights to the LGBT community, a coalition of Indiana businesses is asking lawmakers to repeal the existing bill and extend the rights of LGBT population.
Indiana Competes, which is made up of more than 475 Indiana businesses and associations, sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Brian Bosma and each of the other 99 members of the Indiana House of Representatives.
“Our sincere request is that you do not allow the lack of action in one house of our state legislature to impede the progress that we simply must make as a state to ensure and end to legal discrimination against anyone simply for who they are or who they love,” said Indiana Competes in the letter.
Indiana Competes said one of the reasons to end the legal discrimination is to continue our economic growth.
“We must have the tools necessary to recruit and retain the best talent to live and work for us here, in Indiana. The people we recruit must know that they, their family and their friends are welcome here,” the letter read.
Senate Bill 344 would have offered protections to gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, but did not extend rights to transgendered people. Instead, it called for a legislative study committee on transgendered issues. The bill passed a Senate committee with a 7-5 vote, but was never called before the full Senate due to a lack of support by legislators.
Similar legislation, Senate Bill 100, would have extended rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, but the Senate committee did not hear it.
“The General Assembly must act now to pass legislation that guarantees all individuals receive equal treatment at work, where they live and when they spend money at our local businesses,” said Indiana Competes in the letter.
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