This past Thursday Nebraska’s Legislature’s Judiciary Committee began considering laws that will protect LGBT Nebraskans. The laws would include a discriminatory protections for LGBT employees as well as laws allowing LGBT adoption and foster care.

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad‘s bill would ban businesses from discriminating against current or prospective employees based on their sexual orientation or marital status. The bill would not apply to religious groups.

“Employment decisions should not be based on classifications of who someone is or who somebody loves,” Conrad said. “It should be based on merit and how qualified someone is to do a job.”