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Indiana House Passes Religious Freedom Bill

BY AP AND BTL STAFF

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana House Republicans passed a sweeping religious freedom bill, in a 63-31 vote, that allows private parties — including businesses open to the public — to invoke a religious defense in legal cases.
The state GOP deflected Democrats' attempts March 19 to shield local civil rights ordinances and church and home day care regulations from the bill that supporters say could allow people to cite strongly held religious beliefs to deny services for activities, such as same-sex weddings.
Democrats proposed amendments they said were aimed at ensuring the measure couldn't be used to overturn local civil rights protections or overturn day care rules that the legislature approved last year after years of opposition from conservative groups. Those local ordinances go further than state law to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination.
Democratic Rep. Gail Riecken of Evansville argued the legislature needed to be clear that religious objections weren't sufficient to challenge certain day care requirements, like receiving taxpayer money to meet safety and nutritional standards and limiting the number of children they can oversee at one time.
"This bill will only complicate, confuse and provide conflicts for the very basis that we have held for the protection of our children," she said.
If signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the bill would prohibit any state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs and has a definition of a "person" that includes religious institutions, corporations, partnerships and associations.
Supporters say the proposal is aimed at protecting religious freedom and preventing the government from compelling people to be involved in same-sex weddings or other activities they find objectionable.
Pence resisted calls to veto the bill March 23 and issued a statement that said the measure "is about respecting and reassuring Hoosiers that their religious freedoms are intact. I strongly support the legislation and applaud the members of the General Assembly for their work on this important issue. I look forward to signing the bill when it reaches my desk."
Sponsors of the bill say it is closely modeled on a federal religious freedom law passed in 1993 and that 19 other states already have similar laws.
Religious Freedom bills have begun to pop up all over the country as state legislatures weed through the wave of same-sex marriage laws and court decisions.
Similar efforts are being pushed through the Michigan legislature. Earlier this month House Republicans passed HB 4188-4190 which would allow discrimination against the LGBT community on the basis of "firmly held religious belief."
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, similar bills have been introduced this year in more than a dozen states as conservatives brace for a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. Gay marriage opponents in Indiana were angered last year when the Legislature failed to advance a proposed state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. Federal courts later legalized same-sex marriage in the state.

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