Bill language protecting gay workers eliminated

RICHMOND

After striking language that would have placed protections for gay and lesbian workers into law, Virginia's Senate today unanimously approved an economic incentive bill requested by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The bill gives the governor greater flexibility to use state grants and other financial tools to attract companies to Virginia.

It is viewed as a vehicle to help close a deal with Northrop Grumman. The California-based defense giant is in talks with state officials to move its headquarters here.

James City County Republican Sen. Tommy Norment added the "sexual orientation" amendment to SB739 when it was heard by the Senate Finance Committee earlier this week. His language called for the state to maintain "an ecumenical atmosphere in its sexual orientation hiring policies."

And it was Norment who asked his colleagues to remove it Thursday on the Senate floor, reasoning that the anti-discrimination edict McDonnell issued Wednesday afternoon solves the situation he hoped to address with the amendment.

He also suggested the House of Delegates would kill the bill if the sentence weren't axed.

McDonnell issued an executive directive to state agencies instructing them not to discriminate in the workplace for any reason or characteristic, including sexual orientation. That decree doesn't have the force of law that an executive order has.

The governor took that action in response to the backlash generated by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's letter to state colleges and universities prohibiting them from adopting policies protecting workers from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

While Norment suggested that McDonnell's action resolves the issue, not everyone agreed.

"What the governor did yesterday was put out a piece of paper, a declaration that has absolutely no standing in law," said Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax.

Howell said she'd be more encouraged if McDonnell backed legislation to add sexual orientation as a protected class under state law.

Bills attempting to do that were defeated this year in the General Assembly.

Julian Walker, 804-697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com