'All that needs to be done is for the House to take up the Senate bill out of Messages, vote on it and send it to the Governor!'
By MARIO VALLE
Chair, Florida Commission on Human Relations
Written as an op ed submission for publication in Headline Surfer®
TALLAHASSEE -- The State of Florida through chapter 760 of the Florida Statutes provides vital protection against discrimination for individuals on the basis of several categories, including sex, color, and religion.
One category of individuals noticeably missing from such beneficial protection is pregnant women. Federal law has afforded them protection since 1978.
Over the last decade, there have been multiple attempts to amend Florida law to include pregnant women as a protected class; however to date, including this current legislative session, all such attempts have failed. The main issue preventing the amending of the statute is the apparent ambiguity within Florida's Civil Rights Act.