Atlantic Beach passes Human Rights Ordinance

[Tacachale]

The Atlantic Beach City Council passed its version of the Human Rights Ordinance tonight with a 4-0 vote. Commissioner James Hill, the 5th member, was absent.

[Tacachale]

Evidently, one vote was procedural - Jonathan Daugherty opposes the bill but voted for it in hopes of changing it before the commission later (which wouldn't be possible if he were in the minority vote). However, that won't matter anyway, as there were three other yes votes.

Mayor Carolyn Woods and Commissioners Maria Mark and Mark Beckenbach voted aye. Hats off to them for putting Atlantic Beach on the right side of history.

[Jimmy]

It was a loooong process, but we were really thrilled with the outcome tonight.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-08-11/story/atlantic-beach-passes-human-rights-ordinance

We really CAN do this in northeast Florida.

[Charles Hunter]

Congratulations!
But the battle is never over.  The news talked to some haters who were starting a petition drive to put a "repeal" on the ballot.

[Jimmy]

Thanks, and yeah, saw that.  That was the essential threat embodied in many of the other side's public comments.  Even before that, there's a chance there will be more maneuvering on the Commission itself.  The vote was 4-0 because one of the Commissioners plans to move to reconsider the HRO at the next meeting (so he needed to be on the "winning" side).

The fight continues...

[Dog Walker]

It's a step in the right direction, but they had to include some pretty big loopholes in it to get it passed.

[Tacachale]

Thanks, and yeah, saw that.  That was the essential threat embodied in many of the other side's public comments.  Even before that, there's a chance there will be more maneuvering on the Commission itself.  The vote was 4-0 because one of the Commissioners plans to move to reconsider the HRO at the next meeting (so he needed to be on the "winning" side).

The fight continues...

Daugherty (the one who wants make changes) won't be able to do much, unless one of the three supporters decides to listen to him. My understanding is they're tired of this and want to move on.

Congratulations!
But the battle is never over.  The news talked to some haters who were starting a petition drive to put a "repeal" on the ballot.

That was the most consistent thing the various opponents kept saying - that this should/will be subjected to a referendum, which they assume will go their way. Maybe, for now, but the momentum's going the other direction. The last Jacksonville-wide poll from February 2014 indicated that 65% of residents favor an HRO protecting sexual orientation, and only 25% oppose (this is essentially the wording the Jax City Council voted down, with a little help from Alvin Brown's backroom shenanigans). Perhaps a referendum would come in against the Council's decision--this year. But next year? The one after? There's only so many times they can kick this can down the road.

[Jimmy]

Thanks, Stephen.  Some great folks came to the front to lead at the beaches - I pushed from the back.

Here's a bit of an update.  There will be an attempt to reconsider.  We know Daugherty and Hill oppose.  What Commissioner Mark Beckenbach will do is the question at this point.  Hopefully he and the others will decide the issue has had enough process - and allow the HRO to stand.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-08-12/story/atlantic-beach-city-commission-might-reconsider-human-rights-ordinance

[Tacachale]

Last night, the Atlantic Beach City Council rejected a measure to reconsider the HRO that was adopted last month. The bill will remain in effect.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/commissioners-meet-to-discuss-human-rights-ordinance/27945278

Two of the councilmen supported revisiting the bill, but Mayor Carolyn Woods and Commissioners Maria Mark and Mark Beckenbach determined there would be no benefit to returning to the fray. Good on them for doing the right thing.

Show's over for the opponents. They previously tried to get the bill put to a referendum. To do that, they would need 2,305 signatures - 25% of all voters, but they couldn't. They wouldn't say how many they got, though they did complain that the law didn't only require 10% of the voters. Basically, "well, we couldn't get 25%, but if only the law had been 10%, then we could have gotten the 51% needed to overturn the bill." Too funny.

[Bridges]

Show's over for the opponents. They previously tried to get the bill put to a referendum. To do that, they would need 2,305 signatures - 25% of all voters, but they couldn't. They wouldn't say how many they got, though they did complain that the law didn't only require 10% of the voters. Basically, "well, we couldn't get 25%, but if only the law had been 10%, then we could have gotten the 51% needed to overturn the bill." Too funny.

There were billboards even in Downtown asking for signatures.  I thought you had to be a registered voter in Atlantic beach. 

[Tacachale]

^Yeah, to count they had to be registered AB voters.