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. 

Zubik v. Burwell, Part 2: The Religious Objectors Who Cried Wolf

In the second part of his Zubik v. Burwell contraception insurance series, Senior Litigation Counsel Greg Lipper analyzes the insincerity of religiously affiliated organizations' claims.

Federal Appeals Court Rules That Employee Pensions At Religiously Affiliated Organizations Are Protected

Employees at religiously affiliated organizations in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin can breathe a sigh of relief today—now that a federal appeals court has ruled that their pensions and employee benefits are safe for now.

 

Utah Lawmaker Coughs And Sneezes Long Enough To Kill Anti-LGBT Bill

Utah Senator Jim Dabakis successfully stalled voting on an anti-LGBT bill long enough to kill it by coughing and sneezing for three minutes.

Zubik v. Burwell, Part 1: Why Paperwork Does Not Burden Religious Exercise

Senior Litigation Counsel Greg Lipper argues that signing a form to allow women to receive contraception insurance does not constitute a burden to religious exercise. 

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.” 

Sporting Giants NCAA and Big 12 "Concerned" About Missouri's Discriminatory Constitutional Amendment

After a dramatic 39-hour filibuster and the eventual passage through the Senate, Missouri's SJR 39 is on its way to the House. Fortunately for the opponents of the bill, the business community is not going to take this discriminatory constitutional amendment lying down.

Transgender Man Denied Haircut At Barbershop Due To Owner's Religious Beliefs

A transman who sought a haircut from a barbershop in California was turned away because the owner stated that he would not cut "women's" hair due to his religious beliefs.

Oklahoma Introduced The Most Anti-LGBT Bills In The Country

According to Free Speech Radio News, the state of Oklahoma has the (dis)honor of introducing the most anti-LGBT bills in the country, many of which are written by organizations from outside the region. 

Religious Right Curiously Silent During Management-Muslim Religious Liberty Dispute

With two different labor disputes between management and Muslims looking to fulfill their religious practice of praying five times a day, the most notable silence is coming the traditional defenders of religious freedom, the Religious Right.

Baptist Lobbyist Compares Georgia Lawmakers To Hitler For Failure To Pass "Religious Liberty" Laws

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time online knows of Godwin's Law, the adage that as an online discussion progresses "the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler" increases. Yesterday, Godwin's Law jumped from cyberspace into real life as the Georgia Baptist Mission Board's Public Affairs Director and Capitol Lobbyist compared members of the Georgia General Assembly to Hitler for their failure to pass “religious liberty bills” that would could be used to discriminate against others.

Virginia Gov. Promises To Veto Discriminatory Bill

Virginia's SB 41 may have passed the General Assembly, but Governor Terry McAuliffe has promised that the discriminatory bill will go no further. 

Conservative Talking Points Shift From Same-Sex Marriage To Religious Liberty

In an analysis of buzzwords used during GOP debates, the website FiveThirtyEight explores the emerging use of the phrases involving religion as dog-whistle terms to attack same-sex marriage.

Moore Shenanigans: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Alabama High Court’s Latest Bid To Undermine Equality

Spare a thought for Roy Moore.

Moore likely thought that as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court he’d finally have the authority to enforce God’s moral law. Theocracy has, after all, been the raison d’etre of his career. But our secular legal system – or Satan, depending on who you ask – has thwarted him at every turn.

Americans United Condemns Mo. Senate Vote To Enshrine Discrimination In State Constitution

Church-State Watchdog Group Vows To Fight Misguided Measure

Atlanta City Council Unanimously Approves Resolution To Oppose "Religious Freedom" Bills

The Atlanta City Council has unanimously approved a resolution to stating its opposition to Georgia's two "religious freedom" bills, HB 129 and HB 757. The council is one of over 400 political entities and companies who oppose these bills in their current forms.

Missouri Lawmakers Continue To Filibuster Discriminatory FADA Bill

While you were sleeping, something amazing happened.  And it is still going on.

The seven Democrats in the Missouri Senate have been on the floor for 17 hours now filibustering SJR 39, a constitutional amendment that would add discrimination to the Missouri Constitution. And there is no sign that they are stopping anytime soon. You can listen here.