By a 4-1 vote the Salina City Commission approved a request for action by the Salina Human Relations Commission for the city to add the proposed ordinance from the North Central Kansas Equality Coalition to the agenda on May 14th.

The North Central Chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition made a request at the February 6th City Commission meeting to include sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes under Chapter 13 of the Salina City Code.

After discussion, the City Commission directed the staff of the Human Relations Department to study the request and to hold public forums. The City Commission also asked the Human Relations Commission to give a recommendation regarding including sexual orientation and gender identity to the covered classes under Chapter 13 of the City Code.

In addition to testimony at the Human Relations Commission meeting on February 14th, three public forums were held at the Salina Community Theater. Each Commissioner from both the City Commission and the Human Relations Commission were offered videos of these forums.

The Human Relations Commission voted 7-1 to recommend the proposed amendment to be added to Chapter 13.

The commission meeting on May 14th will be at the Salina Community Theater in order to accommodate the expected large crowd that would attend that meeting.