PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2018
Salt Lake City, UT – On Monday, it was reported that Utah Senator Mike Lee has chosen to block a nominee to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for her alleged views on LGBTQ rights and religious freedom, even though the nominee has clarified that her positions have been mischaracterized. This rare obstruction of an EEOC nominee could result in a hamstrung commission unable to protect the rights of Americans in their employment.
Chase Thomas, executive director of Alliance for a Better Utah issued the following response:
“Like the time when he shut down the federal government in 2013, Senator Lee is showing us once again that it’s ‘his way or the highway.’ Despite assurances from the nominee that she respects and supports religious freedom, Lee is latching on to her support for the rights of LGBTQ Americans as an apparent disqualification for her service. This is an affront to not only his LGBTQ constituents, but to the spirit of compromise that Utahns embrace, as evidenced by Utah’s historic workplace discrimination legislation that protects both LGBTQ and religious rights. We deserve a functioning EEOC that protects the rights of all Americans, and to have Senator Lee standing in the way of that happening is a disservice to all.”
###
Alliance for a Better Utah is a good government advocacy and watchdog organization based in Salt Lake City. The organization works to improve the lives of all Utahns by ensuring balance, transparency, and accountability in Utah politics, policy, and government. More information at www.betterutah.org.