The House State Affairs Committee voted along party lines Thursday to kill the "Add The Words" bill, but GOP lawmakers said a compromise can be found to address religious concerns.

After 22 hours of emotionally charged hearings on the bill - which would extend state civil rights protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - the committee voted 13-4 to hold the bill in committee.

However, several Republican lawmakers said they think a compromise can be reached that would satisfy the LGBT community and address the religious concerns expressed during the hearings.

"I am in favor of legislation," said Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs. "I don't think today that this is that legislation."

In an Idaho Public Television recording of Thursday's hearing, Andrus, who made the motion to hold the bill, said he has received more than 1,000 emails from people on both sides of the issue.

"I want to assure you we will address it," he said, explaining his desire to reach a compromise. "Do not despair. We will have legislation."

Andrus told the packed meeting room that he recognizes the LGBT community's concerns are "very legitimate."

"But we have to address both sides," he said. "This rule does not address the whole picture."

Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, made a substitute motion to pass the bill from committee, with a do-pass recommendation, and allow the full House to vote on the issue.

"Even if we pass it today, you wouldn't have to agree with it. You wouldn't have to condone it," she said. "But let it get to the floor for everyone to weigh in - our state deserves that."

A third motion was made by Rep. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, to move it to the floor without a pass or fail recommendation.

State Affairs Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, opened the hearing for debate, asking if legislators had thoughts on any of the motions.

Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, said she was offended at times with the way some people were using the word freedom - a word she holds sacred - during their testimony. She asked to read a quote from her Native American grandfather, who fought in World War II, on the issue.

"When freedom means someone in government chooses who is truly free and who isn't, we and all of America are diminished, for the exercise of freedom is dictated rather than protected," she read. "If life is a test, then the challenge is, can we really love our fellow man? Do we love God enough to follow him with goodwill toward all, and do we love our children enough to give them a world of peace, hope and understanding?

"If government doesn't protect and provide for all, it fails and we all fail the greater test, while some Americans are held down, spurned and abused with the ugliest weapons of all, which are hate and ignorance," she continued.

Jordan, one of five North Idaho legislators on the State Affairs Committee, voted against holding the bill in committee.

Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, said he wanted to go on the record in support of a compromise bill.

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, also said he would support a compromise.

Barbieri said his fear in passing the "Add The Words" bill is that it could be used as a "sword" rather than the "shield" it was intended to be.

Like Andrus, Barbieri said the bill didn't go far enough to protect religious concerns.

"There is no question that the testimony here is heartbreaking," he said, Thursday. "I can't deny the compassion that has stirred in me from listening to these stories and I certainly feel no animosity to anyone in the LGBT community."

He said he has no doubt that there is considerable persecution, violence and abuse against that community.

"It needs to stop. Laws have not stopped that behavior," he said. "A change of heart needs to happen to stop criminal behavior and to date, throughout mankind, that has not happened."

He said the proposed bill didn't address that human behavior either. Barbieri said there are several issues he has with the bill.

"If we can work out some language that protects all people of faith and within this community, I can support that," he said. "But it is not in this bill, and I cannot support this bill."

Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, said she could not support the bill either.

"This has been 21 hours of some very compassionate testimony and I've listened to it all," she said. "But you know, the time I spent on Idaho's Human Rights Commission taught me that mediation and compassion can be effective for both sides."

She said she had concerns about the loose definitions of the terms that were proposed in the legislation, and added that eventually the Idaho Human Rights Commission would deal with the issue.

"So I'll be voting to hold it in committee," she said. "But I'm sure that eventually we'll continue to listen and we'll continue to work."

Idaho's Democratic lawmakers and the Add The Words coalition issued statements of disappointment Thursday.

"I think it's unfortunate that the committee refused to pass this important legislation even after acknowledging that there are problems in Idaho severe enough to have driven some people to despair and to commit self-harm," said House Minority Leader Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston.

"Although we are happy to hear that some members of the committee are committed to showing more compassion, it's not enough and we are very disappointed in the committee's vote," said Cindy Gross, chair of Add The Words. "We will see the Human Rights Act updated in Idaho, and we'll keep working on this issue until all hardworking Idahoans are protected."