Antidiscrimination bill fails again in Delaware state senate

An attempt to extend Delaware's antidiscrimination law to cover sexual orientation met with a disappointing end Wednesday afternoon when the state senate referred the bill to a dead-end committee, reports Delaware Online. As with its two predecessors, a floor vote looks unlikely, with the bill locked in a 3-3 tie.

Supporters of senate bill 141 were confident that it would reach the floor for discussion when it was scheduled for a senate committee hearing. They hoped its assignment to a committee chaired by a proponent of the legislation would lead to a vote by the full senate.

For now, the bill is stalled in the senate insurance and elections committee. As the committee has six members, four votes in favor of the bill are needed to release it. Currently legislators are deadlocked on the issue.

Sen. John C. Still III, a Dover North Republican who sits on the committee, told Delaware Online he doesn't see any movement happening any time soon.

"I'm not going to sign it, and there are two people who are standing with me," Still said.

"This bill has now shown up in three different committees, some of which I haven't served on, and it's never gotten out. I'd say that shows the pro tem knows how to pick committees," he said to the news site, in reference to senate president pro tempore Thurman Adams Jr., a Democrat.

Adams has consistently assigned similar bills to committees chaired by legislators who opposed them. The legislation has never come close to a full senate vote.

To the legislature's general surprise, Adams referred S.B. 141 to insurance and elections, a committee chaired by Elsmere Democratic senator Patricia Blevins, a strong proponent of the legislation.

Democrats David P. Sokola of Newark and Harris B. McDowell III of Wilmington North sit on the committee and have expressed their support for the bill.

Yet Still has an ally in Republican senate minority leader Charles L. Copeland of West Farms, who told Delaware Online he would vote against S.B. 141 in committee and on the floor.

Sen. Nancy Cook, a Kenton Democrat, led the committee to deadlock Wednesday, voting against the bill's release.

"I am here to represent my constituents," Cook said to Delaware Online. "I believe the majority of my constituents are opposed to the bill." (The Advocate)