Local News in Brief : Irvine : City Moves to Adopt Strict Anti-Bias Law
The City Council has adopted a series of recommendations that could lead to the most comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance in Orange County.
After a six-month study, the city’s Human Rights Committee recommended adoption of an ordinance that would ban discrimination against women, the disabled, the aged, recent immigrants, and gays and lesbians.
The committee also proposed several new steps for monitoring other issues where discrimination may be a factor, such as in housing and transportation.
The council voted 4 to 1 Tuesday night to instruct the city attorney to draw up an anti-discrimination ordinance based on the committee’s report.
Councilman C. David Baker dissented, saying that while he supports the committee and its findings, adopting a specific ordinance would be an official endorsement of alternative life styles. “I think that’s not in the best interest of the city,” said Baker, who has said he plans to run for the congressional seat of retiring Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach).
City Atty. Roger Grable was given 60 days to deliver a draft of the ordinance to the council. The council also postponed a decision on whether to make the Human Rights Committee a standing city commission that would meet regularly.
The city of Laguna Beach has the only anti-discrimination law in the county and it applies only to gays and lesbians.
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