BOISE - Efforts to make it illegal to fire someone based on sexual orientation might already be over - just two days after they formally began.

On Monday, a Senate committee agreed to introduce legislation that would amend the state's 1968 Human Rights Act by prohibiting discrimination by employers or landlords based on sexual orientation. Currently, discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or ethnicity is prohibited.

But the bill is unlikely to get a hearing because it lacks support to make it to the Senate for a full vote, said Senate State Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa.

McKenzie said the committee reviews the "hot social issues" since it consists of party leaders and requires an invitation to sit on it. Therefore, he said, the committee is a good measure of how the bill would fare in the full Senate.

"I'm not going to hold a hearing if it's going to die in the committee," McKenzie said Wednesday. "I voted to print it as a courtesy to the sponsors."

The committee voted 6-2 to print the legislation. Voting against introducing the legislation was Sen. Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, and Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo.

The bill's sponsors, including Rep. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, the Legislature's only openly gay legislator, have said that the bill is not about homosexuality or ideology, but rather about being judged on skill and ability.

The decision to not hold a hearing surprised Sen. Chuck Coiner, R-Twin Falls, a co-sponsor. He has said the bill simply adds a group of individuals who were left out 40 years ago when it was adopted.

Coiner, who is co-sponsoring the bill with two Democrats and another Republican, said the bill "absolutely" should have a hearing.

"We didn't put it out there not to have it heard," he said. "You get it printed to have it talked about."

Senate Pro Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, said that it could "possibly" receive a hearing when the bill's sponsors can assure its passage from committee. But he said his concerns are rooted in legal logistics, not ideology.

"What I'm worried about is the consequence of adding one more area to that particular law," he told reporters Wednesday. "It's not really the issue, in my opinion. People get fired for various reasons but you can go to court for any reason."

There are 20 other states with such bans in place, and 11 others have passed executive orders issuing similar restrictions, said Leslie Goddard, director of the Idaho Human Rights Commission.

A recent Boise State University public policy poll showed that 63 percent of Idahoans agree it should be illegal to fire someone because they are perceived to be gay or lesbian.

Jared S. Hopkins may be reached at 631-793-5717 or jhopkins@magicvalley.com