Opponents of Omaha, Nebraska's gay
protections law have conceded that their petition drive to repeal the
law has fallen short.
The
Omaha
World-Herald reported on Friday that the drive's sponsor, the
Omaha Liberty Project, failed to gather the roughly 11,400 valid
resident signatures needed to force a vote on the law in May's
general election.
“We've got to be pretty darn close to
the number we need,” said Patrick Bonnett, the group's executive
director. “Darn close, but we just didn't get it.”
The Omaha City Council last spring
approved the law, which outlaws discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment and
service providers such as restaurants, hotels and bars.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature
countered with a bill which sought to block cities and counties from
enacting anti-discrimination rules beyond those which the state has
approved. A Senate panel has indefinitely postponed a hearing on the
bill.
While religious organizations are
exempt from the law, the effort to repeal it was led by a coalition
of local clergy and churches.
Opponents said they will continue their
effort to get the issue on the ballot.