EUREKA SPRINGS (KFSM)- The former president and CEO of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce believes he was fired because of a statement the Chamber released regarding an anti-discrimination ordinance passed by the City Council.
The Eureka Springs City Council unanimously passed the anti-discrimination ordinance on Feb. 9. The ordinance prohibits businesses from discriminating against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. At the time, Eureka Springs Mayor Robert "Butch" Berry described the policy as a “time of the essence” ordinance because a bill, filed by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, would ban future civil rights ordinances. That bill is now Act 137. It passed both the Arkansas House and Senate and became law on Feb. 24 without Governor Asa Hutchinson's signature.
Mike Bishop was the president and CEO of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce for four years until March 2, the day he was fired. Bishop said the reason given for his termination was insubordination, but he had always received positive reviews and had a clean work record prior to his termination.
"This came pretty unexpectedly for me," Bishop said. "It has been a life-changing thing, to go from a good salary position, to no paycheck."
Bishop said he was fired several days after the Chamber released a statement outlining its position on the anti-discrimination ordinance. The statement listed several concerns the Chamber had with the new law. The concerns ranged from not knowing about the proposed ordinance prior to the Feb. 9 meeting to the unknown restrictions and regulations that could be placed on business owners.
"There were just too many 'what ifs' to really know what our position was on it," Bishop said.
Bishop said his name was at the bottom of the statement, but the points it made were agreed upon by members of Chamber's executive committee. He also said the statement was never supported discrimination against the LGBT community.
"We did not support discrimination in any way, to anybody, in any group," Bishop said. "It was very vague on how much effect it could have on local businesses."
Some business owners in Eureka Springs agree with the decision to let Bishop go.
Lee Keating and Walter Burrell own Eureka Live, a local bar.
"There are a lot of people who are scared to put up [signs] either for or against the ordinance because they have a business here," Keating said.
The couple has been together for 29 years and married for 19.
"If [Bishop] wants do [discriminate] on his own, in private, that's one thing," Burrell said. "But to pick and choose what businesses he supports when we're all paying dues, that's a conflict of interest."
Other business owners say Bishop shouldn't have been fired.
"I think Mike understands the demographics of this community, it is very diverse," Michael Goff said. "I think he tried to work with everybody."
Goff owns the County Mountain Inn.
"I don't know if much of the community did see this coming," he said. "But I thought what a sad day for Eureka Springs."
Eureka Springs will vote on whether to repeal the anti-discrimination ordinance on May 12. Even if residents vote to keep it, the ordinance will become invalid once Act 137 goes into effect later this year banning such ordinances statewide.