Moderate Republican legislators are expressing regret about the lawsuit 23 conservative republicans have filed against Governor Vilsack. The G-O-P lawsuit seeks to undo democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s executive order which bars discrimination against gay state workers. Three of the top four Republicans in the legislature did not sign on to the lawsuit. House Speaker Brent Siegrist and Senate President Mary Kramer say they were out-of-state when it came time to sign-on, but they say constitutional questions must be resolved by the case. However, both express concern that the lawsuit seems to attack gays. Kramer says the lawsuit is “a sorry thing” as it seems to indicate Republicans are unwelcoming to gays and lesbians. She says in her carreer when she’s had the opportunity to hire people, her practices followed the executive order.Kramer is a retired Blue Cross/Blue Shield executive. Conservative republicans, however, say it’s wrong for gays to gain any “protected status” in employment. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants says he didn’t have time to review the lawsuit before the deadline for signing on. Rants says none of his constituents in Sioux City have contacted him to express support or opposition to the lawsuit.
