BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota Democrats want Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple to bar discrimination against gay, lesbian or transgender state government employees.
Democrats sent a letter Monday to Dalrymple asking him to issue an executive order to require state agencies to ban discrimination in hiring and employment based on sexual orientation.
A Dalrymple spokesman says the governor's office already had sent a memo to appointed agency heads Monday saying discrimination against anyone is unacceptable. It was unclear whether he intended to sign the more formal executive order.
Dalrymple said last week that state lawmakers missed an opportunity to protect all gays and lesbians in the state from discrimination when they failed for the third time in six years to pass a measure that would prohibit bias based on sexual orientation.