CHAPEL HILL – The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed the Senate and will move to the House for approval.
This law would bar discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity, though it does not include a provision for transgender people. Congressman David Price says he is glad to see work being done on this legislation.
“That’s unexpected good news that the Senate has gotten together sufficiently to pass that, that’s long overdue legislation, but at the same time in the current political climate, it wasn’t clear that it would get done” Price says.
Price says this is a fast moving issue with a big gap in opinions between age groups.
“This is an issue that’s moving pretty fast, people’s attitudes are moving pretty fast and of course the younger generation wonders what all this was about in the first place,” says Price. “I’ve never seen an issue where the difference between older people and younger people was as great.”
The biggest road block the ENDA faces will be in the House, where Price says Republicans may be unwilling to pass this legislation.
“Like so many other things, whether it can get past House Republicans is going to be the big question, and John Boehner so far has said ‘No way,’” Price says.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been brought forth into Congress and voted down every year except one since 1994.
To read the full text of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, click here.
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