Opponents of Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance say they have enough sigs to put repeal on ballot

[TexasTowelie]

Opponents of Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance claim they’ve gathered enough signatures to put a repeal on the ballot in November, but Mayor Annise Parker said she’s confident voters would “soundly defeat” the initiative.

Opponents of the ordinance said they turned in 50,000 signatures on Thursday, meeting the deadline of 30 days after the ordinance took effect. They said about 30,000 of the signatures have already been validated as coming from registered city of Houston voters, according to the Houston Chronicle. That’s almost twice as many as the 17,269 signatures needed to place the repeal on the ballot. The City Secretary’s Office now has until Aug. 4 to complete the validation process.

After opponents turned in their signatures, supporters of the ordinance, wearing red, gathered in the City Hall Rotunda for a press conference led by Parker, who authored the measure banning anti-LGBT discrimination.

“The Houston I know does not discriminate, treats everyone equally and allows full participation by everyone in civic and business life,” Parker said later in a release. “We don’t care where you come from, the color of your skin, your age, gender, what physical limitations you may have or whom you choose to love. I am confident voters will soundly defeat any challenge to the ordinance.

More at http://www.lonestarq.com/opponents-say-enough-signatures-put-houstons-equal-rights-ordinance-ballot/ .

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.

[freshwest]

1. This is disappointing. Hope this is defeated.

[PDittie]

2. It will be.

It's a gift for Harris County Democrats and statewides on the November ballot, as it boosts turnout in the city limits, but NOT in the red-as-a-baboon's-ass suburbs.

My take:

http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-fourth-houston-democrats.html

And Wayne's take.

... Equal Rights should NOT be a Democratic or a Republican issue. Sad though it is, the fight for HERO has become politicized, with most of the opposition’s coalition being Republican (again, not all but most). Because of this, a referendum will likely serve as a motivator for Democrats to vote in Houston and Harris County. It could even stand to boost turnout for Democratic candidates. Again as mentioned in the above, this is specifically the city of Houston, whose electorate has already proven that they vote on the Progressive side. This assumption could be wrong, but barring some smoking gun to move the issue, it’s not likely. Giving Houston’s Democrats another big reason to get out the vote is sure to have statewide implications.

http://texasleftist.com/2014/07/why-a-hero-referendum-could-be-good-for-houston-and-texas/

Annise Parker and the HGLBT Caucus and progressive Houston Democratic voters have beaten this religious conservative African American/Republican coalition twice already, in 2011 (Gene Locke) and 2013 (Ben Hall). They will again.

In case you didn't know, Harris County is where some number between 1/5 and 1/4 of the entire state of Texas' Democratic votes are cast. It's a swing county, about 48-47 between Rs and Ds (Libs, Greens, indys and undervotes make up the remaining 5%. The winner is always the one who gets their voters to the polls).

It's the battleground. It holds the key to turning Texas blue.

Yes, we need every vote in Austin and Travis County, Dallas and Dallas County, and the RGV and we also need to erode some of the conservative advantages in Fort Worth, in East and West Texas, and in the suburbs and exurbs around the metros. But Houston can swing an election because of the density of the votes there. That is to say, IF GOTV happens according to plan (and effort). It happens in presidential election years... and it needs to start happening in midterm ones.

One hundred and twenty days to go to Election Day. About ninety to the end of the voter registration period (make sure your ID is proper). About a hundred days or so until early voting begins.

It is ON, folks. 2014 will be won or lost on the basis of what happens during this stretch run to the finish line. When someone says, 'nobody pays attention until after Labor Day', laugh loudly in their face. And go back to work.

[Gothmog]

3. I agree with PDitte

This will motivate Harris County voters. Jared Woodfill is a tea party idiot and may be doing Wendy Davis a great favor.