Chapter 4.04 HUMAN RIGHTS


Section 4.04.010 Declaration of Purpose.

The City Council finds that prejudice and the practice of invidious discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, education and financing practices against any individual or group based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability or membership in any protected class established by the Iowa Civil Rights Act and/or the Federal Civil Rights Act are a menace to the public peace and welfare, adverse to democracy, and harmful to the health and welfare of our citizens.
    It is therefore, the policy of the City of Sioux City, in the exercise of the powers granted by the laws of the State of Iowa, authorizing the City to create a human rights commission and for the protection of the public welfare, to work toward the elimination of such prejudice and discrimination and to promote amicable relations among all racial, cultural, religious, national and social groups within the community.
    The purposes of the City of Sioux City, Iowa, in enacting this chapter are:
    1. To comply with Iowa law regarding establishment of a local human rights commission.
    2. To establish a local Human Rights Commission dedicated to doing the following:
        a. effective enforcement of this chapter, the anti discrimination laws of the State of Iowa and federal antidiscrimination laws
        b. service as a source of information to employers, business persons, employees, laborers, tenants, landlords and other citizens relative to various civil rights laws and regulations.
        c. actively assist in the prevention and elimination of the effects of discriminatory acts and/or discriminatory practices in the community.
    3. To secure for all individuals within the City of Sioux City the freedom from discrimination in connection with employment, public accommodations, housing, credit and education because of race, religion, color, creed, sex, nation origin, age, marital status, families with children, mental or physical disability, and any other protected class established by state or federal law .
    4. To protect the personal dignity of all individuals, to insure their full productive capacities, to preserve the public health, safety and general welfare, and to promote the interests, rights and privileges of individual citizens within the City of Sioux City.
    5. To provide a method for the execution of the policies embodied within the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and in the Federal Civil Rights Act, as amended and to promote cooperation between the state and federal agencies charged with enforcing those acts and the City of Sioux City.
    6. This chapter shall be interpreted according to the fair import of its terms and shall be liberally construed to further the general purposes stated in this section, the special purposes of the particular provisions involved, and the Iowa and Federal Civil Rights Acts and their amendments. (Ord. 2008-0235)