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Florida Gay Rights Bill Won't Advance After Senate Stalemate

gay rights
Posted at 8:00 PM, Feb 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-09 15:08:12-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida won't pass legislation this year to extend civil rights protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

A Senate committee remained deadlocked Tuesday on an LGBT anti-discrimination bill, with five Republican senators stopping the measure from going forward.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to reconsider the bill after a 5-5 vote Monday that would have killed it without a procedural move to keep it alive. But it was left in limbo Tuesday when it became clear that none of the opponents would switch their vote to a yes.

Democratic Sen. Joseph Abruzzo said it's clear his bill won't advance this year. He vowed to try again next year when there will be new Senate leadership and time to build support for the measure.