A new strategy to advance LGBT nondiscrimination in Pennsylvania has emerged in the Pennsylvania Senate.
State Sen. Patrick Browne (R-16th Dist.) last week introduced several pieces of legislation that would separately prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing. A bill to ban LGBT discrimination in public accommodations was reportedly set to be introduced but the state legislative database does not yet show a record of it.
Browne is the co-prime sponsor of the Senate version of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which packages employment, housing and public-accommodations protections into one piece of legislation. That bill was introduced in September and sent to the State Government Committee.
Browne did not respond to a request for comment.
SB 1306, the employment bill, was referred to the Labor and Industry Committee. SB 1307, the housing measure, was sent to the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee. The committee is scheduled to consider the bill Wednesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania issued a memo Tuesday saying it does not support SB 1307 because it does not also extend protections to employment and public accommodations.
House leaders are attempting to free the long-stalled PA Fairness Act there from the State Government Committee through a discharge resolution. If passed, that would allow the legislation to bypass a committee vote.