A.G. Gancarski
Pastors from Jacksonville’s First Baptist Church took a provocative position in the wake of Jacksonville expanding its Human Rights Ordinance to include the LGBT community.
They claimed that the expansion of the ordinance, which allows for civil fines for discrimination against the LGBT community in housing, employment, and public accommodations, turns Christians into “targets.”
And they lay the blame at the feet of a Republican-dominated city council and mayor.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry also took criticism last week from members of the public for not vetoing the bill.
In 2015, Curry said that he would have vetoed the 2012 version of HRO expansion.
We asked him what changed between the 2015 campaign and his decision not to veto the bill, which the city council passed 12 to 6 last week.
“Everyone here heard what I said last Tuesday night. The city council debated this, and voted the legislation into law with a supermajority,” Curry said.
“Those city council members were Republicans and Democrats, represent the city of Jacksonville, a supermajority from both parties. It’s law,” Curry said.
Curry cited his departmental directive banning discrimination against city workers and employees of contractors and vendors last year.
“I said that I didn’t believe additional legislation was necessary. I hold that position,” the mayor noted.
“But they got a veto-proof number of folks who thought this ought to be law. It is. And I remain focused on the issues I care about, the issues I campaign on, the issues people in Jacksonville care about.”
Those issues: crime, infrastructure, and jobs.
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