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Columbia council defers vote on repeal of city's conversion-therapy ban amid budget warning
Summary
Columbia City Council on May 21 deferred consideration of Ordinance 2025-043, which would repeal the city's 2021 ban on conversion therapy for minors. Councilmembers heard hours of public comment and were warned by city staff that losing roughly $3.7 million in state aid could force cuts to core services unless alternate funding is found.
Columbia City Council on May 21 voted to defer consideration of Ordinance 2025-043, a proposal to repeal Ordinance 2021-021 that added a prohibition on conversion therapy for minors to the city code.
Mayor Rickerman opened the meeting by reviewing the timeline that led to the issue and announcing the council would first go into executive session to receive legal advice. After public comment that lasted more than two hours, councilmember(s) moved to remove the ordinance from immediate consideration and defer further action; the motion carried on a recorded council roll call.
The matter drew sustained public comment from residents, faith leaders, advocacy organizations and legal advocates. Speakers who urged the council to retain the ban said the ordinance signals the city's commitment to protecting LGBTQ youth and that even a civil penalty has symbolic and practical value. Sam Kennedy of the American Civil Liberties Union told the council keeping the ordinance "protect[s] LGBTQ youth,"…
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