Source:
The TennesseanGov. Bill Haslam has signed the bill reversing Metro's new nondiscrimination ordinance, dealing a blow to opponents who had mounted a campaign urging him to veto the bill.
Haslam signed the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act, HB 600, Monday afternoon, a spokesman confirmed without additional comment. The bill effectively reverses an ordinance passed by the Metro Council that required contractors with the city to agree to follow Metro's rules barring discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgendered people.
The move comes despite an effort by opponents of the bill to convince Haslam not to sign the bill, which passed by a more than two-thirds margins in the Republican-led state legislature. Gay rights activists from across the country have been pushing companies to issue statements against with the legislation.
The campaign led the executive committee of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which had supported the bill while it was in the legislature, to reverse its position Monday.
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http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110523/NEWS02/110523033/Haslam-reverses-Metro-s-anti-discrimination-law?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE
'Expect a Lawsuit' on HB600, Attorney SaysSource:
Nashville SceneNashville-based attorney Abby Rubenfeld tells Pith that a lawsuit challenging HB600, the bill that prevents Tennessee cities from enacting nondiscrimination policies different from the state's, is in the works. Rubenfeld's comments come hours after Gov. Bill Haslam signed the bill into law Monday afternoon.
"Yes, you can expect a lawsuit," Rubenfeld said. "We're working on it."
She wouldn't provide details but said a New York-based national firm would be assisting local attorneys in the suit. She also said they are finalizing plaintiffs and backers.
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http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2011/05/23/2460595-expect-a-lawsuit-on-hb600-attorney-says