Jonesboro Council Turns Back Sexual Orientation Resolution

A proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protections for Jonesboro city employees failed Tuesday night during a council meeting in Jonesboro.

The council heard from several people about the idea toward the end of the meeting, set aside for public comments.

Council member Ann Williams, who sponsored the idea, asked that the proposal be sent to the city’s finance committee for discussion.

Mayor Harold Perrin then asked for a second on the motion, but the motion failed due to a lack of a second.

The council heard from Mike Reagan of Jonesboro; Amber Carswell, an Episcopal priest at a Jonesboro church; as well as new resident LeaLea Van Winkle-Gisler.

Reagan told the council that he has faced abuse as well as “assault about my presumed sexual orientation while eating breakfast” recently at a Jonesboro restaurant.

Carswell said she believed the issue was about protection.

“I wish for the City Council to protect the city employees on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Carswell said.

No one at the meeting spoke against the proposal.

Van Winkle-Gisler said both sides should keep the debate respectable.

“I am a new resident here and came from a city ripped apart because of this issue,” Van Winkle-Gisler said of the debate last year in Fayetteville.

The Fayetteville City Council approved an ordinance last year, banning discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transgendered people.

The ordinance was later repealed by voters during a special election.

Van Winkle-Gisler said she believed the Fayetteville ordinance had been “ill-conceived but pulled the city apart.”

After the meeting, Carswell said she plans to continue supporting the idea.

“It is disappointing to me that this city is not willing to protect its most marginalized citizens,” Carswell said. “There is a big group of varied folks working on this and the work will continue.”

STATE ISSUE
The issue of gay rights and religious freedom has been discussed in the state over the past several weeks.

The Arkansas legislature approved House Bill 1228, sponsored by Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville, last month.

The bill, which called for a strong compelling interest before the state could infringe on the religious freedoms of individuals, drew opposition from businesses and individuals alike.

Supporters said the bill would protect religious freedom under the 1st Amendment, while opponents said it was discriminatory against gays and lesbians.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson later asked for the bill to be either be recalled or modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Preservation Act, signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1993.

The bill, Senate Bill 975, was later signed into law.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Council members also approved a $394,750 contract with a group to provide economic development help for the city.

The one-year contract with the Northeast Arkansas Industrial Development Commission will work on a variety of issues including business retention and expansion; producing marketing material and infrastructure, according to the agreement.

The agreement will expire Dec. 31, 2015 and Perrin told council members that the contract would have no impact on what the Jonesboro Industrial Development Commission already does on behalf of the city.

According to the agreement, the Northeast Arkansas Industrial Development Commission will also put together an annual report showing “activity and disbursement of funds” by Feb. 1, 2016.

INFRASTRUCTURE
City Engineer Craig Light also spoke to council members about a series of capital improvement projects expected this year in the city.

One of the projects call for the expansion of Caraway Road to five lanes from Parker Road, south to LaTourette Street.

Currently, the road narrows from five lanes to two lanes once you cross the U.S. 63 overpass going south. Perrin said the project would open up a traffic “bottleneck” with people driving into town from the south.

The plan also calls for the replacement of a bridge at Higgenbottom Creek.

The council voted to amend the city’s capital improvement budget to add $875,871 in funding for the bridge project.

In a related topic, the council also voted to amend the city’s street budget to add $500,000 for street overlays this year. Perrin said the winter weather did a lot of damage to streets all over town.

Light said a plan to extend Parker Road from Strawfloor Road to the Washington Avenue exit is moving ahead.

The nearly $2.2 million project would link an area of southwest Jonesboro to U.S. 63. A meeting will be held April 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Jonesboro Municipal Center to discuss the issue.