Cali. Senate votes to clarify that civil rights law applies to gays

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/13458454p-14299501c.html

The state Senate on Monday approved legislation specifying that a major civil rights law bars businesses from discriminating against people because of their sexual orientation or marital status.
Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, said the courts have uniformly ruled that the Unruh Civil Rights Act, named after former Assembly speaker and state Treasurer Jesse Unruh, already covers those two categories.


The bill, by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, would remove any doubt and avoid litigation, Kuehl said. A 22-15 vote sent the legislation back to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.