Spotlight On: Headline-Making RFRA Bills Nationwide
New Mexico's RFRA Bill Is Mostly Dead
Worried About Legislation in Your State? Stay Informed Using PTN’s New State Bill Tracker
As state legislatures gather across the country to start their 2016 legislative sessions, Protect Thy Neighbor is gearing up to monitor and fight legislation that would allow individuals, businesses, and government employees to harm others in the name of religion. Now, you can follow along too by using PTN’s new legislative tracking page. Keep up with the latest news, bill information, and ways to take action in the states and on the federal level. We will update the status of the bills in our state tracker every Tuesday and Friday, and will also continue to provide you with latest legislative news as it occurs.
New Mexico Pre-Files Indiana-Style RFRA Bill
An Indiana-style RFRA bill has been pre-filed in the New Mexico legislature, the contents of which will both expand the state's concept of "person" to include businesses and the definition of religious freedom to include refusals of service motivated by religious belief. The bill also takes wording from the federal First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), another bill that Americans United has been watching carefully.