Council members to withdraw efforts to expand Jacksonville HRO bill

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Council members who sponsored two expansions to Jacksonville's current Human Rights Ordinance have decided to take the proposals off the table.

Councilman Tommy Hazouri said he still firmly believes expanding the HRO is important to the City’s future, but it’s not the right time to move forward the proposed bills that would expand the ordinance to include the LGBT community.

He intends to withdraw the bill at Thursday’s scheduled special meeting of the Council as a Whole to discuss the HRO legislation.

Councilman Bill Gulliford, who sponsored the competing bill that would have had voters decide on whether to expand the HRO, confirmed to Action News Jax news partner News 104.5 WOKV that he will withdraw that bill after Hazouri withdraws his.

Gulliford had made that offer at the first special meeting on the legislation.

"Over the past few months, I have held several sunshine meetings with my colleagues, heard from hundreds of concerned citizens, and tirelessly studied this very important issue.  As a result, I have come to the decision that at this time, the City Council and many citizens of Jacksonville still have sincere questions and are not ready to move forward on this issue," Hazouri said in a statement about his decision.

Council President Greg Anderson told WOKV that he still plans to move ahead with Thursday’s meeting at this time.

If both bills are withdrawn, he is “favorably disposed” to letting them be formally withdrawn at the following Council  meeting and not moving forward with the third planned special meeting, however, that is still to be determined after he hears from Hazouri.

Council Vice President Lori Boyer attempted to withdraw Hazouri’s bill during the first special Council meeting on the HRO legislation, and said she wanted time to first see the impact of the Mayor’s directive.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry issued an order just days prior which directed his top staff to ensure City employees and vendors are protected and operating under the full protections of State and Federal law.

The order did not address private employment, public accommodations, housing, etc.

Boyer’s effort to withdraw the bill ultimately failed. Hazouri commended the Mayor for the directive, but said it doesn’t go far enough.

“I believe that passing this legislation, 2016-002, is imperative if we are truly to be One City- One Jacksonville. It defines who we are as a city- a city that is inclusive and competitive. Today, we are stuck in the past, frozen in time, when it comes to human rights,” Hazouri said.

He says he will spend the next several months working with the General Counsel to fully address the bill and its impact on business and other areas.

He said he’s particularly concerned that, next time, people see this as more than a “bathroom bill.”

“Be assured, this bill and this issue is coming back,” Hazouri said.

Hazouri thanked Councilmen Aaron Bowman and Jim Love, who co-sponsored his measure.  He said, when this action comes back, he hopes other Council members will lead with him on the issue.

Cox Media Group