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Council Votes 9-0 To Put Petition-Signature Initiated/Union Backed Hotel Workers Measure ("Claudia's Law" Re Sexual Assaults/Harassment/Mgn't Retaliation/Workload Limits) On Nov. 2018 Ballot.

Unanimous vote belies political fallout from a bitter 5-4 Council vote refusing to enact the measure last year


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(Aug. 8, 2018, 12:25 p.m., text added from Aug. 7 front page summary) -- As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com, the City Council voted 9-0 to put a petition-signature initiated hotel workers safety ordinance on a special November 2018 citywide election ballot.

The unanimous Council vote on Aug. 7 belied political fallout from a bitter 5-4 Council vote last year that declined to enact a LB ordinance mandating hotel worker protections ("Claudia's Law" against sexual harassment/sexual assaults/management retaliation, including panic buttons.) Councilman Al Austin (who's employed by a public employee union) cast a crucial swing vote in opposition to the proposed ordinance, infuriating union supporters of the ordinance who then mounted a successful petition initiative drive to force the Council to enact the ordinance or put it on the ballot where voters could do so.

The Council action puts the petition-signature initiated ordinance on the same special November 2018 citywide election ballot as four Mayor-sought City Charter changes (put on the ballot 9-0 by the Council earlier on Aug. 7), including a "term limits" change that would benefit incumbent Mayors and Councilmembers.)

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Supporters of the measure outnumbered Council Chamber opponents and urged the Council to enact the initiative's ordinance terms outright. One public speaker warned that it would cost Councilmembers "political capital" if they failed to adopt the initiative's text.

The Council had three options and was legally forced to choose one of them: to enact the initiative ordinance text outright; to conduct a study on its ordinance impacts after which the Council could enact the ordinance or put it on a future ballot in 2019 or 2020; or put the proposed ordinance on the November 2018 ballot.

Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce, a long-time advocate of union efforts to organize LB hotel workers, made passionate, at times personally emotional, arguments in urging the Council to enact the initiative's ordinance terms outright. Pearce's motion, seconded by Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, said immediate enactment would avoid months of an acrimonious campaign if the Council opted for a delaying-study or a November special election ballot.

Councilman Daryl Supernaw made a substitute motion to request a study that would effectively delay Council action or a public vote until 2019 or March 2020.

Councilman Austin made a substitute-substitute motion (that under Roberts Rules of Order is voted first) to put the initiative on Nov. 2018 ballot.

Councilwoman Suzie Price seconded Austin's motion for the November 2018 special election and added a friendly amendment to have management simultaneously conduct a study on regulatory aspects of the initiative's terms [that would become public during the campaign period for the measure.]

Some in the audience (who supported immediate enactment of the initiative terms) heckled Councilmember Price during her comments. Following the 9-0 vote, shouts of "shame on you" directed at the Council were heard.

Councilman Austin, term limited under current LB law in 2020, is currently considering a potential state Senate run.

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