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Sponsors of last years' amendment Audrey Edmonson and Bruno Barreiro withdrew it after failing to get enough support in the Health & Human Services Committee. The make-up of that committee has not changed, but Chair Rebecca Sosa assigned the amendment this time to the Public Safety and Animal Services Committee...which contains the sponsors, Edmonson and Barreiro, as well as Sally Heyman, who has signed her name in support of the legislation. The fourth member of the committee is Esteban "Steve" Bovo. The committee will take up the amendment when it meets on November 12.
If all goes well the final vote on the amendment will be in December.
Equality Florida indicated that there would be a statewide push for similar protections.
We think it’s important that, as the state takes a look at it, for Miami-Dade to show some leadership.
--Stratton Pollitzer, Equality Florida
Miami Beach has already voted to provide transgender city employees with insurance that would cover transition-related health care.
Last year the Christian Family Coalition opposed the amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance. Anthony Verdugo of that organization called it "a solution in search of the problem," while the CFC attacked the proposal as a "bathroom bill." Verdugo also claimed that the amendment would "legalize discrimination," presumably against Christians who oppose treating transgender people equally.
Edmondson dismissed the "bathroom bill" criticism.
That was just a smoke screen. We’ve got at least 10 counties already in the state [with similar legislation], and no one’s having that problem.
--Edmondson
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