Tonight the General Laws Committee in the Missouri House voted in favor of the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act (MONA), HB 2100 and HB 3160.

All members of General Laws who were present voted in favor.

“Thank you to the Representatives on both sides of the aisle who voted for equal protection today,” said PROMO Executive Director Steph Perkins. “All Missourians, including those who are LGBT, should have the opportunity to work hard and provide for their families without fear of discrimination. These protections are long overdue in Missouri, and we thank the General Laws Committee for doing their part to end discrimination in our state.”

This is the 20th year that MONA has been introduced as a bill in the Missouri Legislature. MONA would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Missouri’s Human Rights Statute, which currently prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations for other protected categories, including race, sex, religion and national origin.

The General Laws Committee public hearing for HB 2100 and HB 3160 took place on May 9. Those who testified in support included PROMO, Kansas City Chamber, St. Louis Regional Chamber, ACLU of Missouri, AARP, American Heart Association, MNEA, Planned Parenthood, Empower Missouri, Monsanto, and two individuals with personal stories. Two organizations testified against MONA, Concerned Women for America, and AIM.

This is the first time in three years that the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act has passed out of a committee in the House. Previously in 2013, the Senate has voted once in favor of passing the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act out of the full Senate Chamber.

“Let’s not make MONA turn 21,” Rep. Greg Razer, sponsor of HB 2100, as stated in the General Laws Committee hearing on May 9.