By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - City officials have set the ground rules and location for a second hearing on a proposed expansion of Covington's human rights ordinance.

The proposal would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and five other categories that are now unprotected.

Because the gay rights portion has triggered an emotional debate, hearing participants must abide by the same rules that were in effect for last month's hearing, Covington Mayor Butch Callery said. Individuals will have three minutes to speak, while representatives of organizations will have five minutes to express their views. No signs will be allowed within the meeting area.

The next hearing will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 25 in the Latonia Elementary School gym, at 39th Street and Huntington Avenue.

"We'll let the 10 people who didn't get to speak at last month's hearing go first," Callery said.

"After that, Covington residents will get a chance to speak, then any others that time allows."

Callery said city officials decided to hold a second hearing because a winter storm prevented many senior citizens from attending the initial one on Feb. 11.

"If the city commission decides to go forward (with the changes), the first reading would be April 15, followed by a vote on April 29," Callery said.

Callery said city officials hope to use the feedback from individuals and community groups to create a better ordinance that could serve as a national model, if adopted.

The proposed ordinance would add marital, parental and familial status, disability, gender status, sexual orientation and place of birth to the list of classes now protected. It also would ban discrimination in public accommodations and employment, where the current ordinance addresses only housing, and it would carry penalties to give offenders incentive to correct an unfair situation, supporters say.

The Covington Human Rights Commission tentatively plans to meet March 19 to discuss possible revisions to the ordinance. The changes would be in response to concerns expressed by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

On Feb. 27, the human rights commission made several changes in the proposed ordinance to address Chamber concerns. Those included increasing the size of businesses it would apply to from two employees to six employees, stripping violators' occupational licenses after a third offense instead of taking them away for a first one, possibly reducing fines for offenders from $100 to $500 per day to $50 to $250 per day, and prohibiting those who feel they've been wronged from taking a complaint before the Covington Human Rights Commission if they've already filed a similar action in federal court or with the Kentucky Human Rights Commission.

A Feb. 11 hearing at The Madison in downtown Covington drew more than 225 people.

Of the 43 people who addressed the city commission then, 40 said that the proposed changes would bring needed social and economic change, while three people said they thought the law was unnecessary and would offer special rights to certain groups of people.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com