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State Rep. Louis Ruiz Drafts Proposal To Expand Anti-Discrimination Laws

A Kansas House Democrat has drafted a new proposal to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Kansas City Representative Louis Ruiz presented his proposal Tuesday during a meeting of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. The panel agreed to sponsor it.

Such proposals have failed to pass several times in recent years.

The group Equality Kansas lists expanding anti-discrimination laws to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and the transgendered people against bias in employment, housing and public accommodations is a key goal.

The bill's introduction came a month after the House passed a "religious freedom" bill that critics said would allow widespread discrimination in the name of protecting gay-marriage opponents from fines and lawsuits.

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