County human relations chair backs Allentowns updated nondiscrimination ordinance; council sends Bill 46 to committee

The Allentown City Council referred Bill 46, an ordinance that would repeal and replace the citys discrimination and human relations code, to the Committee of the Whole after brief public testimony in favor.

Liz Bradbury, identified herself as chair of the Lehigh County Human Relations Commission and said she was the lead author of Lehigh Countys updated human relations ordinance. "I'm Liz Bradbury, the chair of the Lehigh County Human Relations Commission," she said, offering the county model as a template and noting the county ordinance passed in February 2024. Bradbury said the county ordinance "is the most up to date and inclusive nondiscrimination law in the state" and that she could answer questions about how the county language compares to Allentowns current ordinance.

Bill 46, as described on the dais, would expand protected classes and prohibitions and establish additional procedural provisions for the Human Relations Commission. Council leadership scheduled a Committee of the Whole meeting on May 21 to review the bill.

Bradbury offered to meet with council committees and staff to explain the county approach and the solicitors review that helped conform the county language with state and federal law. The council did not take a final vote and instead moved the ordinance to committee for further review and possible amendment.

Next steps: Committee of the Whole will review Bill 46; committee and staff may consult with Bradbury and county solicitor staff as they compare the proposed language to the city's current code.