An Idaho Senate committee today, on a straight party-line vote, rejected legislation to ban housing and employment discrimination against gay people, as a shocked crowd of more than 250 supporters of the human rights bill looked on. Judy Halverson, a United Methodist Women member from Boise who was among the crowd attending the hearing, called the decision “just very disappointing, not even to be allowed to be heard.” The committee refused to introduce the bill, which would have allowed a public hearing on it. “I’m just astounded,” Halverson said. “This is 2012. It’s time, it is time“/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.

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