In researching a weekend column on business interests gearing up for another "religious liberty" fight in Georgia, I stumbled across some Republican angst.
A GOP contact in opposition to S.B. 129 expressed some worry that a chief member of the alliance, the LGBT lobby, might overplay its hand and push for broader civil rights legislation that would offer state protections on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation and such.
Which might turn off those otherwise willing to oppose state Sen. Josh McKoon’s bill on the argument that the legislation would hurt the Georgia’s economic position.
So I called Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. He acknowledged that discussions on the topic have occurred.
“Certainly what I do believe is that Georgia needs is comprehensive civil rights legislation,” Graham said. “There is certainly some hesitation amongst the Republicans that we’ve spoke with on whether this is the right time to go forward with it.”
“Our prospects of being able to introduce and move a broader bill are limited. So I do see it as more of a longer-term project -- but a conversation that has been long overdue here in Georgia,” Graham said.
But come January, outside of S.B. 129, Georgia Equality intends to focus – “In the short term,” Graham said – on a single piece of legislation that has significant bipartisan support.
That would be House Bill 323, sponsored by state Rep. Karla Drenner, D-Avondale Estates, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation within state agencies. House Judiciary Chairman Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, is a co-sponsor.
