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Berea Council Rejects Proposed Fairness Ordinance

Berea will not be joining Danville, Lexington, Louisville, Covington, Frankfort, Morehead and Vicco in passing a Fairness Ordinance.

According to the Richmond Register, the Berea City Council voted 5 to 3 Tuesday to reject the proposal, which would have prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity. 

The meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd, and others filled a former service station next door to watch the deliberations via television.

A majority of the council members said they saw no need for it.  Council member Chester Powell said he could not vote for the ordinance because he didn’t believe the city’s human rights commission was able to cite any documented complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

While Council member Violet Farmer expressed support for the fairness concept in principle, she raised concerns about the potential additional costs to the city including legal fees, hiring a fairness hearing officer and investigator, as well as potential costs that could be imposed on local businesses.

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