The Oregon gender identity bill, SB2, that I discussed last week is moving through the legislative process smoothly. The Oregonian reports that the House voted 35-25 in favor of Senate Bill 2. Four Republicans -- Vicki Berger of Salem, Chuck Burley of Bend, Bob Jenson of Pendleton and John Dallum of The Dalles -- joined Democrats in voting for the bill.
The bill now moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it has solid support. The Senate already has approved the anti-discrimination bill and is expected to support the version amended by the House. It could come before the Senate for a vote in the next week or two, and Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said he supports it.
This would raise to 9 the number of states with statutes prohibiting employment discrimination against transgender employees. There are 10 other state bills pending. You can find the full count in my updated post of April 8.
