California Republican State Sen. Melissa Melendez, amid liberal backlash, argued that her legislative proposals towards “cancel tradition” aren’t about “defending Republicans” however about defending the precise to be one.
“The final 4 years have actually opened my eyes to what’s happening on the market, and the way individuals really feel that it’s one way or the other okay to guard each different class on this nation besides political class,” Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, tells Fox Information in an interview.
“With President Trump being elected we’ve seen members of Congress advocating for members of the Trump administration to be harassed and focused. It’s permeating each facet of our lives, so I felt that placing political affiliation in California’s honest employment and housing act was applicable,” she continues.
CALIFORNIA STATE REPUBLICAN AIMS AT ‘CANCEL CULTURE’ WITH TWO BILLS– BUT FACES QUICK DEM BACKLASH
However, “The invoice isn’t about defending Republicans,” she says. “It’s Republicans at this time, it could possibly be Democrats tomorrow… it’s a invoice about equity.”
Melendez — a U.S. Navy veteran, small enterprise proprietor, and mom of 5 kids — mentioned her “Range of Thought Act” would defend individuals from discrimination over politics when in search of housing, financial institution loans, or employment by amending the Truthful Employment and Housing Act. The Act bars discrimination towards race, faith, sexual orientation and different components. California employment legislation already prohibits office retaliation for political exercise.
Her second invoice would assist defend college students from bullying over their political beliefs.
“Cancel tradition and the efforts to silence differing opinions and voices must be a rising concern for all of us,” Melendez mentioned in asserting the laws.
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However at the least one state Democrat has already fired again, accusing the Republican of attempting to guard “racist, pro-domestic terrorism, xenophobic, misogynistic views.”
“Your option to hate & actively pursue hate doesn’t make you a part of a protected class,” state meeting member Lorena Gonzalez wrote on Twitter.
“That’s actually curious to me contemplating the Democratic Occasion is all about inclusion all about equity, all about nondiscrimination, right here we’ve got a invoice that advocates that very precept they’re popping out towards it,” Melendez replies.
Melendez notes that “we’ve all seen tales within the information” about an worker getting dropped by their employer for political feedback they’ve made on social media. “What we don’t know is, what in regards to the common one that experiences this, who doesn’t know the place to show our how one can even take care of it?”
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Melendez admits she doesn’t anticipate it being straightforward to get this invoice handed, including that the Guidelines Committee might quash it. She says Democrats “must look previous the truth that I’m a Republican, look previous the truth that proper now it’s Republicans who’re being focused, and look into the longer term the place they may discover themselves in my footwear in the future or within the footwear of those that are being discriminated towards.”
