Proposed resolution affirms rights and protections
for Rock Island County LGBT employees.
The Rock Island County Board will review a
resolution that affirms rights and protections extended to Lesbian,
Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) county employees. The
resolution was passed by the Human Resources Committee on Thursday,
July 16, 2015, and will come before the full County board for final
approval on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at the 5:30 county board meeting.
Nick Camlin, (D) Rock Island County Board Vice-Chairman
asked me to co-sponsor this bill and I am proud
to support a resolution that affirms the dignity and respect
for our county’s LGBT employees.
http://www.nickcamlin.com/news/LGBT
The resolution’s goal is to assure that Rock Island County
extends equal benefits to all.
In bi-partisan cooperation, Mr. Camlin states “with Mr. Drue Mielke,
I am happy to co-sponsor a very important County Board Resolution
that reaffirms our county’s commitment to LGBT employees and looks
to the next horizon of rights and protections for all LGBT people.”
I lend my support to co-sponsor this employee resolution as a
Republican who recognizes and affirms the importance of individual
right to self-determination, the dignity and worth of every
individual, and individual opportunity for employees of our county.
I believe that this resolution is an outgrowth of our
appreciation for our diverse workforce by our Rock Island County
Board.
Rock Island County has a rich history of extending respect and
dignity to LGBT employees, including benefits for same-sex couples,
implementing the 2011 Civil Union law and the 2015 Marriage Equality
law, and setting policies protecting sexual orientation in the
employee manual.
With the passage of this
resolution, the County Board directs the Administrator and
Human Resources Department to further
county employees’ rights and protections by including both sexual
orientation and gender identity into county policies, expanding
diversity training to include LGBT people, and establishing a
Diversity Council, ensuring that all married and civil union couples
are included in Family and Medical Leave Act provisions, and
encourage that businesses that contract with the
county to have a procurement policy to have nondiscrimination
policies that include LGBT people.
Mr. Camlin sends a clear message from the county, “If you come and
work for our county, you will be valued and you will have nothing to
fear-- you can be yourself!”
