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The state Senate Labor and Industry Committee will hold a public hearing next week to examine legislation seeking to prevent discrimination against individuals in employment as a result of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 30 in Hearing Room 1 of the North Office Building in Harrisburg
According to Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, the broad philosophical arguments related to the issues are well known.
“What the committee is seeking are detailed arguments for or against the provisions set forth in the bill that can be used to help members determine whether it adequately addresses workplace discrimination as written, or whether changes to the current language might be necessary,” Baker said Monday in a news release.
In an effort to gather feedback separate from the organizations invited to testify, Baker said a special section has been added to the committee website to allow for public comment. Input from supporters, opponents, and those who are yet undecided is welcome, she said.
“In addition to accounts of specific instances of discrimination, the committee is seeking documentation about how existing workplace policies and municipal ordinances have functioned and how any unforeseen problems have been addressed, as well as any relevant case references,” Baker said.
Public comments are being accepted and can be submitted via email to Baker’s office, the release said.
Last month, Baker was the target of criticism from Carl Halkyer, co-chairman of the Rainbow Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania, who accused Baker of stalling the legislation, which is known as the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, by requesting more time to study the issue.
Halkyer was joined at a press conference at the Pittston Memorial Library by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, who has co-sponsored the Equality Act in the U.S. Senate, and Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s physician general, who is transgender. The trio voiced their support for enacting a statewide anti-discrimination ordinance.
Jennifer Kocher, communications director in the Office of the Majority Leader, Sen. Jake Corman, had responded, saying Halkyer’s assertion “just isn’t true.” Kocher said the bills were before the Senate Rules Committee.
“No decision has been made on how to move forward with this bill and no single senator is holding up consideration of the issues,” Kocher had said. “At this point, we had requests from some senators for more time to review the issues, and a recognition that state House leaders had no intent to run the bills before the upcoming summer recess.”
Kocher had said Baker would hold a hearing this summer on the employment issue with the goal of fully vetting concerns that have been raised.
She said some of the issues still to be explored are the application of the law by employers, how the law interacts with any religious beliefs, the impact of any state law on the local communities with existing ordinances and the capacity of the Humans Relations Commission and others to handle complaints.