For the first time in United States history, the majority of Americans live in states with enforceable laws barring racial and religious discrimination, the American Jewish Congress reported today.
The report said 16 states have established specialized agencies empowered to administer and enforce laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. Two other states have created anti-discrimination agencies without enforcement powers. The 16 states with enforceable anti-bias laws had 50.32 percent of the country’s total population.
States that have enacted anti-discrimination statutes with provisions for enforcement are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. All have laws prohibiting discrimination in employment; eight of these states also authorize the state anti-bias agency to prevent discrimination in places of public accommodation such as hotels, restaurants, theatres and recreation areas. Five of the states have fair education laws; eight have fair housing statutes.
Two states–Indiana and Kansas–have enacted “voluntary” anti-bias legislation broadly condemning discrimination in employment, out without enforcement procedures other than establishing state agencies to attempt to bring about voluntary compliance, it was reported.
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