HOUSTON — Houston’s City Council voted Aug. 5 to put the controversial equal rights ordinance (known as HERO) on the Nov. 3 ballot after a vote to repeal the law failed but not before debate arose over the ballot language.
Council members opposed to the ballot language cautioned Mayor Annise Parker the city could find itself again on the losing end of a legal battle over how the city chooses to parse its words for the voters.
The vote marked a “dubious” anniversary for HERO opponents, spearheaded by the Houston Area Pastors Council. It was one year ago — Aug. 4, 2014 — that Parker and then-City Attorney David Feldman called a press conference to declare “invalid” a referendum to repeal the equal rights ordinance, which gives protected class status to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) individuals. And on Aug. 5 the Houston City Council, at the direction of the Texas Supreme Court, was forced to accept the referendum petition and vote to repeal the ordinance.
The repeal of HERO failed, 12–5, and with council refusing to repeal the ordinance, city charter mandated council to put the ordinance to a citywide vote.
(BP)
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