Greg Anderson explains Committee of the Whole approach to Jax HRO

On Wednesday, Jacksonville City Council President Greg Anderson sent a memo signaling that the Jacksonville HRO expansion discussion would be held in a Committee of the Whole on three Thursday afternoon meetings in February and March.

On Thursday, Florida Politics spoke with Anderson, and he gave more details about why he chose that approach.

Anderson, a consensus builder by nature, wanted to bring that same levelheaded approach to committee deliberation of the emotionally charged issue of broadening the Human Rights Ordinance.

His desire: “to elevate this issue, and deal with it, while still continuing the good work that Council is doing.”

By handling the HRO discussion in a discreet way, it’s possible for Anderson to do just that.

The Council President says he’s gotten positive reaction thus far from members of Council, who seek to avoid the drama that characterized 2012, where the bill went through committee meeting after committee meeting, with some key changes in Rules that Council members who weren’t part of that committee had to educate themselves on.

Anderson expects the Committee of the Whole approach to be “consistent and clear,” avoiding the emotionalism and pitched rhetoric that could otherwise predominate.

With almost a month for opponents and proponents of the HRO to marshal their arguments, one can expect opponents of HRO expansion to make a rationalist case against Tommy Hazouri‘s bill and in favor of Bill Gulliford‘s referendum idea at these meetings. One should also expect independent polling numbers to be brought forth beforehand in private meetings, numbers intended to sway politicians on this issue, especially those who might want to run again.

Council President Anderson has managed Council through some interesting times. Barring the unexpected, this HRO process may be the most interesting of all.