Mayor makes final decision in anti-discrimination vote

Idaho Falls Mayor Jared Fuhriman made the deciding vote Thursday night in passing two sections of the anti-discrimination ordinance.

The two sections ban discrimination for employment and housing.

A third section on public accommodations was tabled and will be discussed later, they said.

The mayor had to make the deciding vote after the council voted 3 to 3 on the ordinance.

Over 100 people were at the city council meeting. People were standing along the walls and in the hallways. The fire marshal had to make sure the council chambers never exceeded 100 people.

Samantha Gresham, a supporter of the anti-discrimination ordinance said not including the public accommodations section was abad idea.

“I mean they can get kicked out of restaurants, they can get kicked out of basically any place if someone doesn’t like that they are gay and that is a big thing with the public.”

A timetable for reviewing the public accommodations section has not been discussed by the council.