A bill that would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s workplace discrimination law will not receive a hearing in committee this session.
Freshman representative Jason Dunnington, who introduced House Bill 1345, announced Wednesday that his bill would not receive a committee hearing, which effectively stops the bill from moving forward for at least another year.
“Many of my colleagues in the House would contend that America is built on the fundamental promise that if you work hard, and play by the rules, you can get ahead,” Dunnington, D-Okla. City, said. “But today, thousands of Oklahomans go to work fearing that they could lose their jobs simply because of who they are or who they love.”
Oklahoma employers are currently allowed to not hire or fire individuals because of their sexual orientation, which is what HB 1345 attempted to prevent.
"The LGBT community has found a strong ally in Jason Dunnington,” Troy Stevenson, the executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, said in a statement. “Freedom Oklahoma would like to thank the Representative for proposing the most comprehensive protections against discrimination in the history of Oklahoma. While it is extremely unfortunate that HB1345 will not be heard in this session, we look forward to working with Rep. Dunnington - and other fair-minded lawmakers - to ensure that one day soon, freedom will truly mean freedom for everyone in our great state,”
