Hair discrimination ban vetoed

A bill that sought to extend employment discrimination protections was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts Aug. 15.

LB1060, introduced by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, clarified that existing protections against racially based employment discrimination include hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locks and twists.

Senators passed the bill on a 27-12 vote Aug. 11.

In his veto message, Ricketts said he agreed with the intent of the bill, but that it would create a new definition of “race” that would be applied to employment discrimination cases going forward.