Local News in Brief : Irvine : Group Seeks to Place Rights Law on Ballot

A group opposed to Irvine’s city human rights ordinance has delivered to the city clerk about 7,000 signatures on a petition seeking a citywide ballot measure to revise the measure, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The initiative, proposed by the Irvine Values Coalition, called for the words “sexual orientation” to be removed from the ordinance and would require that city ordinances pertaining to sexual orientation be approved by a majority of the city’s voters, group chairman Scott Peotter said.

The coalition has attacked the ordinance since the City Council passed it in August. The group contends that the ordinance grants “special rights” to homosexuals.

City officials have said the ordinance--which outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, physical handicap or sexual orientation--was designed only to ensure equal rights for all minority groups.

The petitions must have at least 5,009 signatures of registered voters, or 10% of the city electorate, verified by the county registrar of voters within 30 days.

If the petition for a ballot measure is successful, the City Council could introduce and adopt the group’s initiative or call a special election.