Although the most recent amendment to House Bill 1063 was recently defeated, the head of the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) warns that the measure could reappear next autumn.
HB1063 amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. According to the Illinois General Assembly Web site, the measure ‘excludes, from the definition of ’employer’ any religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society.’ It also leaves out ‘any institution conducted by and for those who rely upon treatment by prayer through spiritual means.’ The bill is being backed by arguably some of the most conservative members of the House.
In a phone interview with Windy City Times, IDHR director Rocco Claps warned that just because the fourth amendment to the measure was defeated does not mean that the bill is going to disappear. ‘ [Supporters] tried to put in Amendment #4, but [several opponents] testified against it and it failed by one vote on May 18,’ he said. ‘However, the bill is still alive. It has been re-referred to the Rules Committee, which keeps the bill alive through the veto session so it could come up again in October.’ Before the vote took place, Claps sent letters urging lawmakers to oppose the bill. He claimed that the measure allowed religious organizations and secular non-profit entities to discriminate in the hiring of individuals on any grounds protected by the Illinois Human Rights Act. The protected classes include sex, age, race—and sexual orientation, as of Jan. 1, 2006.