On Tuesday night, Nashville/Davidson County’s Metro Council approved a bill on first reading that would extend the metro area’s nondiscrimination policy to companies that contract with the city.
The bill passed with a vote of 22 to 13, and it would require companies that contract with Nashville/Davidson County to adopt non-discrimination policies covering sexual orientation and gender identity. According to a story in Nashville’s City Paper, some council members voted for the bill out of respect for the three-reading legislative process, but future readings are expected to bring out more opposition from council conservatives.
In the summer of 2009, Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy attempted to impose a nondiscrimination policy on companies that contract with the county. But Mulroy’s ordinance was compromised down to apply only to county employees. This past summer, Janis Fullilove brought a similar resolution to the Memphis City Council, but it was removed from the agenda for lack of support.
