Members of the House Appropriations Committee did not approve a healthcare contract for state workers last week because it included language prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
That’s in accordance with Governor John Bel Edwards’ April executive order, which Attorney General Jeff Landry is challenging in court. And fifteen Republican House members have since asked to join the lawsuit.
Alexandria Representative Lance Harris is one of those members.
“The case that’s before the court right now has nothing to do with discrimination. Does the Governor have the ability to make law by Governor fiat or executive order fiat? That’s the question," said Harris.
Edwards isn’t the first Louisiana Governor to order these protections. Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco did as well. But the Legislature has failed to pass LGBT protections.
Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds calls the order an overreach.
“I’m also not in favor of additional language until Congress or the Legislature states,” he explains.
The suit will be heard in court Tuesday, November 29th. Matthew Block is the Governor’s Executive Counsel. He says until then, the executive order is still in effect.
“Even though the Attorney General asked for one," says Block, "there’s been no injunction put in place that prohibits the application of the executive order.”
But House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry, also part of the fifteen, warned there would be no cooperation til the court has ruled.
“If you bring that contract back again and it has the same language it has now, the situation is not going to get any better. So stop playing games with us," he warned.