WYOMING: House Kills LGBT Rights Bill

Via the Associated Press:

The Wyoming House of Representatives has voted down a bill that would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The House voted 33-to-26 against the bill, which already had cleared the Wyoming Senate. Supporters have included Wyoming business groups, which have said enacting an anti-discrimination law would help the state recruit new corporations and help existing businesses attract good employees. Opponents included several church groups, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne. They maintained that the bill would crimp the right of people to make decisions about hiring and also infringe on freedom of speech. Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, said the bill was being promoted as a way to improve Wyoming’s image. However, he said the state should have no concerns along those lines. "This bill is not needed, it aims to fix problems that don’t exist,” Jennings said. “I ask you to defeat this bill.” Rep. Nathan Winters, R-Thermopolis, said the problem with the anti-discrimination bill is that it removes all discretion from individuals as to how they choose to exercise their freedom of conscience. “And it enshrines forever in law, something that is detrimental to the First Amendment,” he said.

And anti-LGBT discrimination remains perfectly legal in 29 states.