Senate could expand LGBTQ protections with Equality Act
CBSN
The Supreme Court handed down its landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage six years ago this June, a decision that was especially resonant because it occurred during Pride month. This month, the Senate is likely to to have the chance to pass civil rights legislation with similar significance for LGBTQ Americans, if it isn't stymied by Republican opposition.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced last month that the Senate could take up the Equality Act, which would enshrine legal protections for LGBTQ Americans, in June. Still, it's not yet clear whether the Senate will actually consider the House-passed bill during Pride month. Twenty-nine states do not have laws that explicitly shield LGBTQ Americans from discrimination, resulting in a patchwork of protections that vary from state to state. The Equality Act would extend protections to cover federally funded programs, employment, housing, loan applications, education and public accommodations.Authorities made two gruesome discoveries Tuesday after a Missouri woman walked into a police station and told officers that she fatally shot one of her children and drowned the other, officials said. Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said at a news conference that authorities believe both children were killed Tuesday morning.
Strong storms with damaging winds and baseball-sized hail pummeled Texas on Tuesday, leaving more than one million businesses and homes without power as much of the U.S. recovered from severe weather, including tornadoes, that killed at least 24 people in seven states during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.