In advance of the convening of the January 2011 Virginia legislative session, State Del. Jim Scott, whose district includes the City of Falls Church, announced this week he’s already filed H.B. 1509 that calls for outlawing all discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment in Virginia.

Scott told the News-Press that whereas he has no co-sponsors for the bill so far, he will be seeking them once everyone shows up in Richmond next week. He said that his bill follows the argument made by Gov. Bob McDonnell in his Executive Directive No. 1 last spring which stated that “the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits discrimination without a rational basis against any class of persons,” and that “discrimination based on factors such as one’s sexual orientation or parental status violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”

Scott said that the U.S. Congress vote and President’s signing into law earlier this month a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. military also strengthens the case for the passage of his new bill.