Voters Repeal Civil Rights Ordinance in Fayetteville

A citywide, anti-discrimination ordinance that was recently passed by the Fayetteville City Council was repealed by voters Tuesday in a special election.

Northwest Arkansas Newspapers reports the final but unofficial results from the Washington County Election Commission as follows: 7,523 votes (52 percent) to repeal the ordinance and 7,040 votes (48 percent) against repeal.

The ordinance — Ch. 119 of the City Code — would have protected sexual orientation from discrimination.

In addition to sexual orientation, the ordinance included socioeconomic background, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in housing, employment and public accommodations.

It was approved by the Fayetteville City Council on Aug. 20 at the end of a marathon public meeting. Those in opposition to the law rallied and, by Sept. 20, had enough valid signatures, over 4,300 of them, to force a ballot question.

Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan, who endorsed the ordinance, told the newspaper the vote was the first round, but would not be the last round.

“I would have liked to have seen it go differently, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back and try something again eventually,” he said. 

Jordan added he respected the vote of the people and “we’ll work with that.”