Arkansas court weighs future of Fayetteville's LGBT protections

LITTLE ROCK — A Fayetteville city ordinance that bans discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people should be found in violation of a 2015 state law and struck down, an attorney for the state argued Thursday before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Fayetteville's city attorney argued that the ordinance does not violate the state law and should be upheld.

The state's highest court heard oral arguments but did not immediately issue a ruling in the state's appeal of a Washington County circuit judge's ruling last March that upheld the ordinance.

The Fayetteville City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2014, but voters repealed it later that year. In September 2015, Fayetteville voters reversed themselves and voted to approve a similar ordinance.

Read more: http://www.swtimes.com/news/20170209/arkansas-court-weighs-future-of-fayettevilles-lgbt-protections

ETA: Similar articles appeared in the Little Rock and Texarkana newspapers.