(Dan Burdish) – Nevada’s economy is in the toilet. We lead the nation in unemployment at 14.3%, 46% higher than the national average. We also lead the nation in foreclosure rates, nearly four times the national average.
What is the solution to these problems? Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce wants to increase your taxes and Assemblyman “Tick” Segerblom wants to increase the cost of doing business by increasing nonsensical business regulations.
Assemblyman Segerblom’s hair-brained idea of adding “physical characteristics” to the basic Civil Rights protected by Nevada Statutes is nothing more than feel good legislation. AB 90 has been introduced by Assembly Segerblom and the Las Vegas Review-Journal had it right when they called this bill a “plaintiff’s attorney full employment act.”
Maybe there is a market for 300 pound 4′ 6″ dancers on the Strip but I think that would be up to the hotel/casinos to decide, not Assemblyman Segerblom. That is but one of the myriad of unintended consequences this bill could force on employers.
I can see it now, fat employees complaining their thin bosses fired them for being fat, thin employees complaining fat bosses fired them for being thin, bald employees complaining their fully haired bosses fired them for being bald. All it would take is for an employee to have a differing “physical characteristic” from their boss to substantiate a claim of discrimination.
Instead of wasting time and money on feel good legislation perhaps our elected representatives should look for real world solutions to our problems. Assemblyman Segerblom practices employment discrimination law in his life outside of politics. Instead of using his elected office to expand the base of his business perhaps he should trying helping the people who elected him.
(Dan Burdish is the chief executive officer of Citizen Outreach)
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