The Pennsylvania Senate committee that was set to today consider legislation that would prohibit discrimination in housing cancelled its meeting.
A staffer in the office of state Sen. Scott Wagner (R), chair of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, confirmed Wednesday morning that the day’s committee meeting was cancelled. It could be rescheduled for next week, the staff member said.
The committee was to consider two House bills and six Senate bills, including SB 1307. The legislation is part of a new strategy to advance LGBT nondiscrimination in Pennsylvania that has emerged in the Senate.
State Sen. Patrick Browne (R-16th Dist.) last week introduced SB 1307, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the classes protected from discrimination in housing in the state. he also submitted SB 1306, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment. 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.
The day before the committee meeting, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania issued a memo 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.