Lanane: Republicans lack of leadership on civil rights fails Hoosiers

INDIANAPOLIS – Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) released the following statement after Senate Bill (SB) 344 failed to advance.

“RFRA raised a defining question: does Indiana permit discrimination or not?

“It’s incomprehensible that Republicans can’t seem to answer that question.

“Senate Democrats made it very clear where we stood.

“This has always been about protecting LGBT Hoosiers from discrimination.

“We didn’t even get an opportunity to discuss that.

“What does this say about our state?

“It’s legal in Indiana to fire LGBT Hoosiers for who they are. That’s wrong. Period.

“The business community knows it. Everyday Hoosiers know it. We know it.

“It’s a failure of leadership. It’s Republicans doubling down on a position that places them squarely on the wrong side of history.

“The indifference from the governor’s office speaks volumes. Indiana needed leadership. We got shrugged shoulders.

“The greatest injustice is that, at the end of the day, it’s still legal to discriminate against LGBT Hoosiers in Indiana. That we failed to meet that challenge is a disservice to our entire state.

“We will continue to fight to protect all Hoosiers equally under the law.”