Nathan Triplett, Mayor Pro Tem City of Easy Lansing, addresses a press conference in front of the state capitol on Wednesday. Behind him (left to right) are Curtis Hertel Jr., Ingham County Register of Deeds; Kenneth Fletcher, supervisor Delta Township Board of Trustees; Evan Hope, clerk of Delhi Township; Andy Schor, State Representative from Lansing; and Angela Wilson, trustee of the Meridian Township Board of Trustees. Photo: Todd A. Heywood.
LANSING — If leaders from three charter townships in greater Lansing have their way, over 100,000 more people in metro Lansing will be protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Evan Hope, clerk of Delhi Township; Kenneth Fletcher, supervisor of Delta Township; and Angela Wilson, trustee of Meridian Township were joined by East Lansing Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett, State Reps. Andy Schor (D-Lansing) and Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and openly gay Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope in making the announcement that each entity would introduce and pass comprehensive nondiscrimination ordinances.
Fletcher said he expects to begin discussions with his board Monday, while Hope and Wilson indicated they expected to introduce draft ordinances as early as June.
The three townships would join East Lansing and Lansing in offering comprehensive protections and would join 23 municipalities in the state with such laws. The three officials made their announcement as part of a local coalition called One Capitol Region.
ÒWhat makes the effort weÕve announced today notable is that, for the first time, a group of communities is coming together to coordinate the passage of a common nondiscrimination policy across our entire region,Ó Triplett said in an email to Between The Lines. ÒWe talk a great deal about ÔregionalismÕ in Mid-Michigan. Too often ÔregionalismÕ is just a word that is bandied about without ever being translated into meaningful action. This effort to pass local nondiscrimination ordinances on a regional basis will help position this area to compete for talent and send a message that collectively, as a region, we celebrate diversity and our open for business. When weÕre done residents and visitors to our region will know that anywhere they live, work, or play in the Capitol Region they are protected from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The value of that common approach to this important issue cannot be overstated. I hope it will serve as a model for other regions across our state.Ó
Between the Lines will have extensive coverage of the political landscape facing these three municipalities in next week's edition of the paper.
