Monthly Archives: February 2015

Cons to the second amendment

By: jasminewittler

Read the original here:
Cons to the second amendment - Video

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Senate on Monday approved second reading of a bill that would extend workplace and other anti-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Senate File 115 was approved after consideration of several new amendments to the bill.

The first, sponsored by Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, would have added creed, disability, political affiliation, economic status, ethnic background and ancestry to the protected classes afforded under SF 115. It also would have struck the "gender" in gender identity and replaced it with "sex," with Hicks arguing the two terms are interchangeable and the change would make the language consistent with the rest of Wyoming statutes.

But the bill's key sponsor, Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, noted that the purpose of the bill is to exclusively address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

While he appreciated what Hicks was attempting to do, he suggested the amendment overreached, given the bill's intent. "In my reading, it's outside the scope," he said.

"It's a little too broad for what the bill title indicates," Rothfuss said.

Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Gillette, agreed, adding that Hicks' amendment covered a lot of ground that already exists elsewhere in Wyoming statute.

Senate President Phil Nicholas, R-Laramie, ruled that the amendment was not germane to the bill, and it was subsequently withdrawn.

The second amendment to the bill, offered by Senate Vice President Drew Perkins, R-Casper, sought to rework his previous amendment, which was approved on the bill's first reading.

The amendment sought to expand the list of organizations that would be exempt from SF 115, going beyond religious organizations to include nonprofit "expressive associations" whose primary purpose or function "are grounded in religious teachings."

Visit link:
Job protection for gays clears Senate hurdle

OLYMPIA Family and friends of a woman killed by her husband at a Spokane hospital last July tried to make it clear Monday they are not anti-gun. They arepro-warning.

Although a gun-rights group questioned whether Sheena Hendersons law would infringe on the Second Amendment, her father Gary Kennison said the proposal has nothing to do with taking guns away from people. Instead, its about letting family members know when a person who may be suffering from mental health issues or was accused of domestic violence gets their guns back from policecustody.

Sheena Henderson was killed by

You have viewed 20 free articles or blogs allowed within a 30-day period. FREE registration is now required for uninterrupted access.

S-R Media, The Spokesman-Review and Spokesman.com are happy to assist you. Contact Customer Service by email or call 800-338-8801

OLYMPIA Family and friends of a woman killed by her husband at a Spokane hospital last July tried to make it clear Monday they are not anti-gun. They arepro-warning.

Although a gun-rights group questioned whether Sheena Hendersons law would infringe on the Second Amendment, her father Gary Kennison said the proposal has nothing to do with taking guns away from people. Instead, its about letting family members know when a person who may be suffering from mental health issues or was accused of domestic violence gets their guns back from policecustody.

Sheena Henderson was killed by her husband, Christopher Henderson, last July. Christopher had been evaluated by law enforcement as a potential suicide risk less than 24 hours earlier, but after he had been cleared by Spokane Valley officers, he retrieved a gun from the Spokane Police Department that had been seized during an earlier suicide attempt; he went to Deaconess where Sheena worked, fatally shot her, then killedhimself.

The family assumed the gun was still in police custody, said Kennison, who was at the Spokane County Courthouse trying to get a restraining order that would have kept Christopher away from Sheena and allowed Deaconess to bar him from the area where she worked. Had I been notified that his gun had been retrieved, she would have been standing beside me at thecourthouse.

The proposed law would set up a three-day waiting period for the return of a gun seized under certain circumstances, and family notification that the return has beenrequested.

See original here:
Washingtons Sheenas Law presented to committee - Tue, 10 Feb 2015 PST