BATON ROUGE - A state House committee has stalled a bill that would prevent employers from firing domestic violence victims for missing work.

The House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee deadlocked in a 6-6 vote Thursday, keeping the measure stalled in committee and unable to get a full House vote.

Opponents say protections for victims of domestic abuse already exist and the bill oversteps in dictating business policy.

Rep. Marcus Hunter, a Monroe Democrat, says he's trying to protect victims from discrimination.

Hunter's proposal would ban companies from demoting, suspending, firing or taking other disciplinary action against victims of domestic violence who leave work to go to court or to seek treatment for the violence.

They would need to show their employers documentation to be excused from work.