Luzerne County Faces Petition Challenge on Non-Discrimination Law
A significant development is set to unfold in Luzerne County as the Board of Elections prepares to address a challenge concerning a petition to overturn a recently enacted non-discrimination ordinance. The public hearing is scheduled for next Thursday, July 16, at 9 a.m., and will be held at the Penn Place building in Wilkes-Barre, as confirmed by Assistant Solicitor Gene Molino.
The focus of the hearing is a challenge initiated by county council member Chris Belles, who has questioned the legitimacy of over 400 signatures on a petition aimed at repealing or subjecting the new non-discrimination ordinance to a county-wide vote. This ordinance, which was approved on June 9, provides protections against discrimination for groups not previously covered under state and federal laws. These groups include those identified by gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, and physical or mental disabilities.
Walter Griffith, the former county controller, and a group of petitioners are behind the effort to either repeal the ordinance or have it decided by a referendum. They submitted an initial petition with 1,899 signatures to initiate this process. However, Chris Belles has contested the validity of 475 of those signatures, citing a list of 1,584 signatures that were made available for public scrutiny.
In a recent development, Belles revealed that he received pages containing 322 signatures that were absent from the petition on the flash drive, prompting him to request an additional seven days for a thorough review of this “newly disclosed” information. The challenge was officially filed by Belles on Monday, July 6.
According to Molino, the county’s home rule charter permits a review by the Board of Elections if any county resident submits a written request within ten days following a decision by the Office of Clerk of County Council.
