Utah Antidiscrimination Bill Quashed

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

February 04 2012 4:10 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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A bill to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in Utah was tabled by a state Senate committee Friday, ending its chances of passing this year.

After a 90-minute hearing before a capacity crowd, the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee voted 4-2 to table the bill, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Democratic senator Ben McAdams (pictured), its sponsor, expressed disappointment but said the hearing was a "huge milestone." It marked the first time such a bill received a Senate hearing; Democrats have proposed similar measures four times previously.

Opponents of the bill raised the specter of frivolous discrimination claims and asked if an exemption for religious organizations could be expanded to include religious people, such as a landlord who may not want to rent to a gay person. McAdams responded, "That's discrimination."

Some legislators were also worried about a section of the bill prohibiting discrimination based on political speech or activity. McAdams said he will probably remove that provision if he brings the bill up again. The senator, who is running for Salt Lake City mayor, promised to designate another lawmaker to take over the measure if he leaves the Senate.