Committee votes along party lines to kill bill
BOISE — Idaho lawmakers in the House State Affairs Committee voted 13-4 Thursday to reject moving the Add the Words bill to the full House for deliberation.
The bill would have added the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Idaho’s existing Human Rights law.
The committee voted along party lines in support of a proposal by Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, to keep the bill in committee and end the chance of it being seen by the House during the 2015 legislative session.
“People … are concerned that their religious freedom is being impinged, and their right to act would be violated to protect their religious held freedoms,” Andrus said. “We need to address those concerns as well. I think because of this hearing, we will have legislation. Your concerns are legitimate, very legitimate, and people in Idaho and in the legislature have heard you and are hearing you.”
The Add the Words campaign has had a presence in Boise for about 10 years, and this is the first year it’s been granted a committee hearing. For over 22 hours of public testimony on the bill throughout the week, 190 people testified — 134 in favor of the bill and 54 opposed. The other two testimonies claimed neutrality on the bill.
After Thursday’s vote, Andrus attempted to reassure those in the audience who supported the bill.
“I think this hearing has brought us all a long, long way,” Andrus said. “I wish every employer, I wish every landlord could have heard your stories, and I think they will through this hearing. My heart goes out to you because of how you are living, the anxiety that you feel, and we will do something for you, take heart.”
Testimonies included Idahoans sharing stories of how they had been physically and verbally assaulted due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, and spoke of friends who had taken their own lives because of the discrimination they faced in Idaho.
Boise local Joseph Kibbe testified about one incident when he and a friend were walking near the Capitol Building and were assaulted because of their sexual orientation. He said “they bashed his head on a curb, and then against a dumpster.” He said his friend hung himself the following day.
Sen. Buckner-Webb provided closing remarks regarding the bill and related her experience of being discriminated because of the color of her skin.
“I know what it’s like to walk in fear and uncertainty,” Buckner-Webb said. “I know what it’s like to worry for the safety of my children, the people I love, for my own safety. Our friends, neighbors, family members of the LGBT community want the opportunity to awake every day and carry on their lives without fear, fear of losing their homes, fear of losing their jobs, fear of losing their lives.”
Opponents said the bill would infringe upon their religious freedom, and others said passing the bill would not change anything.
Wayne Hoffman, of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, said he thought passing the bill would “not have stomped out discrimination,” and the argument for adding the words should be reserved for the private sector.
Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said he felt the four words “take no concern of citizens holding personal religious conscience, genuine personal religious conscience.”
“When we carve out protections to one group, rights are taken from another,” Barbieri said. “It shouldn’t be that way, protections for all groups must be included in any legislation. If we can work out some arrangement that protects all people, of faith and within (the LGBT) community, then I can support that.”
The current Idaho Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in regards to employment, education and public accommodation.
Buckner-Webb said the current law does not apply to religious corporations or associations, bona fide occupational qualification, private clubs, religious educational organizations and housing, duplexes or other facilities if the one providing the lease is housed therein.
Despite opposition to the bill, many Republicans said they were emotionally impacted by the testimonies of discrimination. Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, choked up with tears as he said he was in support of a future compromise.
“My heart has been touched by this hearing,” Bateman said. “I know, from this point on, forever, I will be kinder and I will be more compassionate to those who bear this heavy burden.”
Add the Words Campaign Chair Cindy Gross said she was disappointed in the outcome, but did see some good come out of the hearings, regardless.
“We do feel we opened up some hearts and minds, and this will help our momentum in the future,” Gross said. “We are not going to back down.”
George Wood Jr. can be reached at [email protected]