Brownsville leaders this week passed an ordinance focused on fair practices for housing, employment and more.
The focus of the ordinance is to bring about the opportunity for every person to obtain employment, access to all places of public accommodation and access to housing, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, familial status, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, the city stated in a synopsis of the ordinance.
The ordinance states denial or deprivation of these rights is detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Brownsville and those within its jurisdiction and is within the power and responsibility of the city to prevent.
On Tuesday, the City Commission approved the second reading the ordinance designed to provide fair practices to anyone seeking employment, housing, and other accommodations in the city.
An attorney representing the city said the legal division reviewed the ordinance extensively and said the ordinance does comply with state and federal laws.
Although there were comments made in reference to first amendment rights in relations to religious exemptions,the application of this ordinance does not apply to religious organizations, the city attorney argued.
“It my legal opinion that this complies with state and federal law. We don’t have any issues with it,” the city attorney said.
Before giving final approval to the ordinance, the commission heard public comments from two people who asked that the ordinance not be passed.
Longtime Brownsville resident Kenny Lewis asked that the commission support the “historic family values” the nation has held for more than 300 years.
“The Bible teaches homosexuality does not describe a type of person but a type of behavior. Sexual orientation is not a matter of civil rights but a matter of moral right and wrong,” Lewis said. “If the fair practice ordinance is adopted the city will discriminate against the majority of the city who follow traditional marriage.”
Scott and Sarah Trstenjak, also of Brownsville, asked commissioners not to support the ordinance. They talked about the Bible and how marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman.
“The Fair Practice Ordinance if passed tonight, this will force my family to go against our strongly held religious principles or face retribution,” Scott said. “This will hurt our town, our people, our children, please vote no.”
