An effort by right wing religious groups to repeal a recently enacted equal rights ordinance in Plano, Texas has failed, because organizers failed to follow basic rules.

Last month,Â PastorÂ Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. SenatorÂ Ted Cruz,Â joined with theÂ Houston Pastors’ Council,Â Plano Citizens United, andÂ Liberty Institute, in an attempt to repeal Plano, Texas’Â equal rights ordinance. That effort has now officially failed, because organizers failed to follow the most-basic rules, including state and local law, in their petition drive.

“This is an attack on Judeo-Christian beliefs in America,” Pastor Cruz told a crowd at a January rally organized to get enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the non-discrimination law. “It’s time people of faith become involved in the political arena.”

Organizers obtained enough signatures, but they are all invalid for technical reasons.

“The City of Plano has determined that a recently circulated Equal Rights petition is invalid and will not move forward,” Plano city officials said in a statement today.Â

Anti-gay organizers submitted thousands of signatures but the petitions themselves “contained false information,” and omitted state law required county information, invalidating every petition submitted. Organizers also failed to include a copy of the ordinance, invalidating the petitions as well.

Plano officials add that they contacted organizers weeks before the deadline “to facilitate accuracy in referendum petitions to avoid any potential disputes regarding validity of signatures,” and yet organizers did not make the necessary changes to the forms.

LGBT activists aren’t pleased with the ordinance itself, citing a lack of protections and mixed messages for transgender people.Â

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Image viaÂ WikimediaÂ

Hat tip:Â Joe Jervis

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