SANDPOINT — The Idaho Republican Party is calling upon the Legislature to nullify a growing number of city ordinances which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Sandpoint was the first city in the state to enact such an ordinance and five others, including Coeur d’Alene, have followed suit.

But the Idaho GOP adopted a resolution last weekend in McCall which urges lawmakers to enforce the state’s existing anti-discrimination laws and enact a law that voids any municipal ordinances expanding protections.

The resolution was proposed by Stephen Smith, an outspoken Sandpoint attorney.

The resolution was defended by Cornel Rasor, chairman of the state GOP’s Resolution Committee, in a Spokesman-Review article.

Rasor was quoted as saying he would have no qualms about hiring a homosexual if he was a good worker, but would if he showed up to work in a “tutu.”

The story was subsequently linked to by a number of national news organizations and countless blogs.

“I’ve been skewered so badly I won’t talk to you about it,” Rasor said on Tuesday.

Rasor contends he’s being unfairly painted as the resolution’s architect and chief promoter.

“I have received everything but death threats and I think that’s probably next,” said Rasor.

The Legislature is not required to act upon the resolution, although its membership is predominantly Republican.

State Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, noted that the resolution is incongruous with another GOP philosophy which holds that governments are preferable when they are the closest to the people.

“I find it interesting that the resolution passed because it appears to be in conflict to the other portion of our platform that calls for local control,” said Keough. “I have a difficult time when we propose at the state level to take away local decision-making authority.”

Another controversial resolution that would give precinct committeemen and women the ability to determine which Republicans would appear on the GOP primary ballot was rejected.

“It failed. It didn’t even get out of committee,” said Rasor.

Rasor said he was “concerned” by the resolution.

“That seemed to me to limit the liberty to the individual and put it in the hands of just a few. I, personally, don’t like that,” he said.

That resolution also troubled Keough.

“Certainly our central committees are important, but there’s 33 potential members of the committee and there’s hundreds of thousands of other Republicans that vote in the primary,” said Keough. “It’s their question to answer.”