Action alert from The Equality Network:

Urgent! Bigoted State Rep. Mike Reynold (the same guy who tried to reinstate DADT for the Oklahoma National Guard) has another bill introduced, that will strike down all of the municipal ordinances in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Miami, McAlester, Del City, Vinita, Altus, and Vinita that protect LGBT municipal employees from discrimination.

Please, please call your state legislators and urge them to kill this bill in committee.

Protect Local LGBT Equality – STOP HB 2245

Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-91) has introduced HB 2245, a bill that should alarm anyone who cares about civil rights and fairness. The House Judciary Committee will be hearing this bill on Monday, February 27th at 4:30 p.m. and we urgently need your help to stop it.

HB2245 (Rep. Mike Reynolds)

*Bars municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances granting municipal employees nondiscrimination protections that exceed those given to state employees. LGBT state employees are NOT protected from employment discrimination.

*Nullifies any existing and bars any future municipal nondiscrimination order, regulation, or ordinance granting municipal employees nondiscrimination protections that exceed those given to state employees. Passage of this bill would strike down LGB-inclusive nondiscrimination policies protecting public employees in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Miami, McAlester, Del City, Vinita, Altus, and Vinita. It would prevent Norman from adopting an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination public personnel policy that has been under consideration for months.

Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to OPPOSE HB 2245.

You can call them at the numbers listed below – it is fine to leave a message. Or email them using the sample letter and direct link found below.

Gus Blackwell (R-61) – (405) 557-7384
Marian Cooksey (R-39) – (405) 557-7342
Randy Grau (R-81) – (405) 557-7360
Scott Inman (D-94) – (405) 557-7370
Fred Jordan (R-69), chair – (405) 557-7331
Dan Kirby (R-75) – (405) 557-7356
Mark McCullough (R-30) – (405) 557-7414
Richard Morrissette (D-92) – (405) 557-7404
Leslie Osborn (R-47) – (405) 557-7333
Colby Schwartz (R-43), vice-chair – (405) 557-7352
Ben Sherrer (D-8) – (405) 557-7364
Aaron Stiles (R-45) – (405) 557-7386
Sue Tibbs (R-23) – (405) 557-7379
Emily Virgin (D-44) – (405) 557-7323
Paul Wesselhoft (R-54) – (405) 557-7343

Photo shows Dr. Ed Shadid being sworn in as an OKC city council member on 4/12/11. Later in the year he proposed adding “sexual orientation” as a protected class in the city’s personnel policy, which passed in November 2011.