City leaders in Henderson will vote Tuesday on a measure that would extend civil rights protections to members of the LGBTQ population.
The city commission is going down a familiar road with a so-called fairness ordinance. Leaders in Henderson passed a fairness ordinance in 1999 but it was repealed 18 months later when the makeup of the city commission was changed.
Current Mayor Steve Austin recalls it being a divisive time and doesn’t see the need for a fairness law, but the present city commission voted 3-2 earlier this year to revisit the matter.
The local ordinance would ban discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the Louisville-based Fairness Campaign, ten cities in the bluegrass state have adopted fairness laws. They range in size from Louisville and Lexington to the small town of Vicco in eastern Kentucky.
City commissioners will take an initial vote on the measure Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. following public comments. Two votes in favor of ordinance are required for passage.