N.D. non-discrimination bill dies in the Senate

BISMARCK -- Senate lawmakers shot down a bill Thursday that would have given gay and lesbian North Dakotans the ability to file a lawsuit if they felt they were terminated from their job, or evicted from their residence, because of their sexual orientation.

Senate Bill 2252 failed by a close 21-26 vote. The vote is a step back for the state, says the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, after the Senate voted for a similar bill in 2009.

“It’s easier for people who don’t experience these things,” said Boschee, North Dakota's first openly gay legislator. “I was hoping it would pass, but it did get some new votes. We can try to build support with people new to the chamber.”

The bill would have added the term, “sexual orientation” to the North Dakota Human Rights Act, which passed in 1983, that allows individuals to seek recourse if they are discriminated against based on their age, gender, race and disability, among others.

The bill passed by the Senate in 2009 failed in the House of Representatives.

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