Sen. Nordquist Should Call Me

On February 16, all three Nebraska Bishops will meet with the Nebraska Catholic Conference in Lincoln to discuss, and offer official pronouncements on, several pieces of legislation currently circulating on the floor of the Unicameral.

The Bishops will focus their attention on legislation directly related to matters of Catholic morality pertinent to the lives of the faithful. Two pieces of legislation in particular which will be under review are LB 647 and LB 586.

LB 586 is seeking to establish what supporters of the bill would likely describe as fair practices in regard to discrimination in the workplace. LB 586 states, “Notwithstanding any other law or laws heretofore enacted, all cities and villages in this state shall have the power by ordinance to define, regulate, suppress, and prevent discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity…”

I think there is a fair point to be made regarding the matter of workplace discrimination, and the need for individuals to feel secure in their employment. However, what we have seen time and again with such legislation is the steamrolling of the rights of the employer to feel secure in their own right to hire and fire.

We know that when the threat of a lawsuit hangs over the head of a business owner, they are less likely to make rational and fair choices about who can, and should, be employed at their place of business. Namely, we know that legislation such as LB 586 will intimidate employers into retaining unqualified employees who are gay, lesbian, or transgender, lest they end up in court and are forever tarnished as homophobic bigots.

The potential intimidation placed on business by LB 586, however, is an argument made many times over by those who value liberty – so I will not go further down that line of thinking. The real kicker in the specific case of LB 586 is the bill’s sponsor, Democratic Senator Jeremy Nordquist, who represents Omaha’s District 7.

Sen. Nordquist is a practicing Catholic, and according to this official biography, a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 3019. Another bill introduced by Sen. Nordquist is LB 647, which is seeking to grant homosexual couples in Nebraska the right to adopt.

Here we have another legislative issue proposed by Sen. Nordquist which flies completely in the face of the teachings set down by Holy Mother Church – the very Church which Sen. Nordquist is publicly representing by listing his Catholic parish and volunteer affiliations on his biography.

What’s more, once the three Bishops shepherding Nebraska meet on Monday in Lincoln to review this legislation, it is very likely that the pronouncement to the faithful will be that legislation seeking to allow homosexual couples to adopt is contrary to the Catholic faith.

How can Sen. Nordquist, as a Catholic, continue on with his legislative activities knowing that his own Bishop stands against his activities? As Catholics, are we not bound to be responsive to the Bishops God has appointed over us?

Once the NCC and the Bishops have released their official thoughts on the legislation, we will publish them as soon as they are in our possession. Until then, and even thereafter, I am officially offering Sen. Jeremy Nordquist the opportunity to discuss this issue here on Chrism News, either in the written form, in a video, or through our Podcast.

As Catholics, we must build each other up. This is not an attack on Sen. Nordquist, nor a means of ambushing him. I simply want to provide him to opportunity to explain how he reconciles his Catholic faith with the legislation he promotes.

#opinion #local