It's official: it's over for Georgia's HB 757. House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today that they would not challenge Governor Nathan Deal's veto on the controversial "religious liberty" bill, but that the larger fight is far from over.
Mississippi Senate Passes Sweeping "Religious Liberty" Bill
Mississippi Set To Vote On Discriminatory Bill
Sibling Rivalry: Religious Freedom Puts Economic and Religious Conservatives At Odds
Last Week In Review: March 21–25
Because many state legislative sessions have ended (Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming), we can report that 13 of the so-called religious liberty bills we have been tracking are officially dead. Here is some of the big state legislative news that occurred last week and what we expect to see moving this week.
Louisiana Governor To Rescind Anti-LGBT Executive Order
In the wake of Governor Nathan Deal's veto of HB 757 in Georgia, Governor John Bel Edwards' press secretary has announced that the Louisiana governor will rescind the anti-LGBT executive order issued by Bobby Jindal in 2015.
Georgia Governor Vetoes "Religious Liberty" Bill
In a brief press conference today, Governor Nathan Deal vetoed HB 757, a bill that would have sanctioned discrimination in the name of "religious liberty".
Bill That Allows For Discrimination Moves To Mississippi Senate Floor
On Wednesday, a Mississippi Senate Committee approved HB 1523, the misleadingly named “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act.” The state House has already passed the bill and the Senate will likely vote on it very soon. The goal of HB 1523 is to allow discrimination against LGBT couples. But its reach goes much further.
Faith-Based College Groups Can Now Discriminate In Kansas
According to The Kansas City Star, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed into law SB 175, a bill that would allow faith-based groups at universities to restrict membership to only like-minded people. This means that school tuition dollars could go to groups that deny membership to minority students, such as those in the LGBT community.
North Carolina Rushes Anti-LGBT Bill Through Legislature
North Carolina lawmakers are so dead set on passing a bill that would ban all cities in the state from enacting anti-discrimination ordinances that they convened a special session today that is costing $42,000 in taxpayer funds. And, in an effort to get their dollar's worth, legislators look ready to pass HB 2 through both chambers before the end of the day.
The Mouse Has Spoken: Disney Threatens To Boycott Georgia If HB 757 Passes
Disney fired a warning shot across Georgia's bow today, vowing that neither it nor its Marvel Studios unit would film in the state should HB 757 pass.
MPAA Is "Confident" That Georgia's Governor Will Not Sign Discriminatory Bill
Georgia's HB 757, a bill that sanctions discrimination based on religion, is getting poor reviews in Hollywood. Yesterday, entertainment industry paper Variety reported that a Motion Picture Association of America official is very sure that Governor Nathan Deal will not sign the bill into law. Georgia's film and television industry is booming, leading activists to call upon production companies to use their heft to protest HB 757.
Home Depot Co-Founder Opposes Georgia's Discrimination Bill
Last Week In Review: March 14–19
Even More Companies And Celebrities Urge Georgia's Governor To Veto Harmful Bill
Companies, politicians, and celebrities have been coming out against Georgia's HB 757, a bill that would allow individuals, businesses, and taxpayer-funded social services organizations to refuse to adhere to any laws that conflict with their religious beliefs about marriage, almost since the day it was introduced. Now that the bill has passed through the legislature and sits on Governor Nathan Deal's desk, these opponents are louder than ever.
Utah Lawmaker Coughs And Sneezes Long Enough To Kill Anti-LGBT Bill
Georgia's General Assembly May Have Surprise Vote On "Religious Liberty" Bill On Wednesday
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia's HB 757 will be voted on today by the General Assembly. This news comes as a surprise, as business leaders and LGBT advocates have roundly denounced this "religious liberty" bill as legalized discrimination.
Alabama Legislature Packs Multiple False Religious Liberty Bills Into One Day
The House Committee on Health will hold a hearing on HB 158, the “Alabama Child Care Provider Inclusion Act,” which would allow organizations that provide adoption and child placement services the ability to “refrain from conduct that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs.”