BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says he’s suing the state attorney general over his rejection of contracts with an anti-discrimination clause that would protect LGBT people.
Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry has refused to approve contracts allowing state agencies to hire outside lawyers because they contain language barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Edwards, a Democrat, issued an executive order in April requiring the language to be included in nearly all state contracts.
Landry says the order exceeds the governor’s legal authority.
After a meeting Friday between the two men, Edwards said Landry told him if he wanted contract approval, he’d have to go to court. The governor responded: “I’m going to oblige him on that.”
Landry says he welcomes a court’s decision on the issue.
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