Republican leaders in Virginia’s House of Delegates Thursday removed two LGBT non-discrimination bills from the agenda of the General Laws Committee in a move that if goes unchecked will kill both bills when the House session ends at the end of the month,
The bills include House Bill 2677, which would discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, and House Bill 2067, which would prohibit similar discrimination in public employment. Both bills moved past the House Rules Committee on Monday.
This will be the 4th time, including in this session, in which similar non-discrimination bills have passed in the Virginia Senate with support from both Republicans and Democrats. Each year, the Republican leadership in the House of Delegates has blocked the legislation from receiving a vote on the floor.
“Today’s anti-LGBTQ actions by Virginia House leadership are dramatically out of step with voters, lawmakers, and Americans from all walks of life.” Freedom for All Americans CEO Masen Davis wrote in a statement. “Equality is not a partisan issue, but a human issue — and it’s a shame when legislators who don’t yet realize that fundamental truth have the power to thwart commonsense, bipartisan bills to protect their constituents.”