At Thursday’s Fiscal Court meeting, County Commissioner George Wathen commended Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport’s move to be more inclusive to members of the LGBTQ community in their personnel policy.
According to Wathen, the decision to be more inclusive and less discriminatory shouldn’t fall on local government, but on individuals and businesses who choose to amend their policies.
Wathen, who’s been an opponent of passing a nondiscrimination ordinance at the County level, said he believes the airport board did the right thing by taking matters into its their own hands.
“I believe that’s the best way for this type of thing to happen,” Wathen said. “Individuals coming to their entities to determine what’s right for their employees and customers.”
If a local business or entity has an issue with discrimination, Wathen said that issue should be addressed by the business instead of the government.
“I think it’s best that things like that are taken care of through individual organizations and not rely on local government,” Wathen said. “And I applaud them for taking the initiative.”
There were a handful of nondiscrimination ordinance opponents in attendance Thursday, but Judge-Executive Al Mattingly started the meeting off by saying the nondiscrimination ordinance wouldn’t be discussed at a Fiscal Court meeting until the beginning of 2020.
“We’ve got a lengthy agenda to get through tonight and, as we said at our last meeting, we are not going to take any comment regarding the nondiscrimination ordinance tonight,” he said. “I’m sure, during January and February, there will be ample time for that.”
