Dispute Over La. Governor’s LGBT-Rights Order Heads To Court

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A judge could decide within days whether Gov. John Bel Edwards violated Louisiana's constitution in giving workplace protections to LGBT people through executive order.

The Democratic governor issued the order in April prohibiting discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexual orientation and gender identity, with an exception for contractors that are religious organizations.

Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, says the order is unconstitutional because it seeks to establish a new protected class of people that doesn't exist in law and that lawmakers have refused to add. The attorney general wants an injunction against the order.

Edwards accuses Landry of repeatedly exceeding his constitutional authority. He wants the judge to uphold his anti-discrimination order while also defining the attorney general's authority.

Judge Todd Hernandez hears the arguments Tuesday.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.