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Read the Full Ordinance as a PDF

Council Votes 6-1 for ordinance 2/26/02

Council tables HRC ordinance again, but... 1/8/02

HRC has first reading by County Council on 12/18/01

HRC withdraws plan to de-fund HRC 11/27/01

Joint Council/HRC Meeting 9/28/01

HRC reaffirms recommendation to include Sexual orientation 9/10/01

HRC Agrees to Review Inclusion of Sexual Orientation Despite Pressure by County Council 8/13/01

County Council Tables Hearing of Proposed Ordinance 3/6/01

HRC Unanimously Votes to Include Sexual Orientation 1/29/01

HRC Ordinance FAQ's

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HRC Ordinance again tabled by County Council, BUT...

by Mike Miller, 1/9/02

A new local ordinance which includes language protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was scheduled to have its second/final reading Tuesday 1/8/02 in a special session of Erie County Council. Over 100 people were in attendance - so many, that the meeting had to be moved from Council chambers to a larger court room. The vast majority who attended were in support of the ordinance, wearing stickers that read "Equal Rights for ALL is Good for Jobs" and "Erie Needs a complete HRC Ordinance." A couple of dozen people spoke, mostly in favor after the floor was opened to public comment.

Despite overwhelming public support and nearly a year of wrangling and sidestepping an out-and-out vote upon the ordinance, Council decided to table the matter, as they did last March (see EGN article...). Déjà vu? Perhaps not.

There's an encouraging side to this tabling of the issue.

Council member Joy Greco proposed tabling the matter for a period of no longer than 30 days as a courtesy to give the newly sworn in County Executive Rick Schenker's administration a chance to review the matter. BUT, Ms. Greco also said that she planned to support the ordinance including sexual orientation whenever it should come to a vote. Council Member Fiore Leone came forward and stated that he would support the ordinance and, along with Mark DiVecchio opposed tabling the ordinance. Joe Giles made a point of saying that he voted in favor of tabling the ordinance only because, according to county law, not voting to table would have prevented him from being able to later place it back on the table. This was all reported in the Erie Times-News...

Schenker, a former PA Christian Coalition Executive Director vowed before taking office to veto the measure if passed by county council (see Erie Times-News article...). This would force a 2/3 vote by Council afterward to override and make the ordinance law in Erie County. It no longer seems clear that he would necessarily oppose the ordinance. When interviewed by the Erie Times News after the meeting, he didn't give any definitive answer (see "Mum" article...). This tabling of the ordinance may just save it from a knee-jerk vetoing by the new executive. Mr. Schenker's office has voiced concern that passing of the ordinance would lead to forced recognition of domestic partner benefits and a plethora of lawsuits against the County and local employers that would scare businesses away from Erie

During the 30 days which the ordinance is tabled, perhaps Mr. Schenker's administration can be disabused of these unfounded concerns. Facts are that 6 of the 7 largest urban areas in the state of Pennsylvania (excluding only Erie) have put protections for people of all orientations on their books, yet have not experienced any flood of unnecessary litigation. Neither does the inclusion of sexual orientation as a class protected from discrimination in employment, housing and accommodations cause any new domestic partner benefits to come to be enforced. Places where domestic partner benefits do exist have had to enact those benefits separately from nondiscrimination policies. And far from drawing business away, statistics show that locations tolerant of diversity are most often the centers of big business (read recent study by the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy... this is an Adobe Acrobat PDF - if you don't already have it on your system, you can install the PDF reader for free).

All of this came on the heels of very strong statements earlier in the day in The Erie Times-News by Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Ron DiNicola who said that "Passing this ordinance to prohibit discrimination is simply the right thing to do" and "Erie County cannot afford to get a reputation as an intolerant community" especially in these economically stressful times (see Times- News article...)

The following day the story was not only covered by the Erie Times News, but the paper's editorial staff came out and strongly endorsed the passage of the ordinance as well (read endorsement...).

In any case, this is not the time to give up but to be encouraged and encourag-ing. It is now more important than ever that you write, call, fax not only your County Council Person but the County Exec's office as well to let them know how important it is to pass the ordinance including sexual orientation. Or send an email to that effect.

Contact Mike Mahler to be informed of any upcoming Council meetings/votes or with any questions.

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