ATLANTA – The state Senate’s Republican majority passed a religious freedom bill Thursday, resurrecting an issue that roiled the General Assembly eight years ago.
Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which passed 33-19 along party lines, the state and local governments would not be permitted to “substantially burden” an individual’s free exercise of religion unless the government could demonstrate it had a “compelling governmental interest” in doing so and that it was using the “least restrictive means” of intrusion.
kAm$6?2E6 q:== `g_ 😀 2:>65 2E AC@E64E:?8 C6=:8:@FD >:?@C:E:6D 7C@> 8@G6C?>6?E :?ECFD:@? E9C@F89 2 “32=2?4:?8 E6DE[” $6?] t5 $6EK=6C[ #p4H@CE9[ E96 3:==’D 49:67 DA@?D@C[ D2:5 @? E96 $6?2E6 7=@@C D9@CE=J 367@C6 %9FCD52J’D G@E6]k^Am
kAm“xE D:>A=J AC@G:56D 2 E@@= E@ H6:89 E96 =68:E:>2E6 :?E6C6DED 8@G6C?>6?E 92D 282:?DE A6@A=6’D C6=:8:@FD C:89ED[” $6EK=6C D2:5] “(6’C6 ?@E ECJ:?8 E@ E2<6 2?JE9:?8 7C@> 2?J3@5J]”k^Am
kAmqFE E96 3:==’D s6>@4C2E:4 @AA@?6?ED D2:5 E96 >62DFC6 4@F=5 36 FD65 E@ 5:D4C:>:?2E6 282:?DE {vq%” v6@C8:2?D F?56C E96 8F:D6 @7 C6=:8:@FD 7C665@>]k^Am
kAm$6?2E6 |:?@C:EJ {6256C v=@C:2 qFE=6C[ s$E@?6 |@F?E2:?[ D2:5 A2DD:?8 E96 3:== 4@F=5 9FCE E96 DE2E6 64@?@>:42==J]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 E6==:?8 {vq%” v6@C8:2?D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D E@ =62G6 @FC DE2E6 2?5 E2<6 E96:C 5@==2CD 6=D6H96C6[” qFE=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J A2DD65 2 #u#p 3:== 😕 a_`e @G6C @3;64E:@?D 7C@> 3FD:?6DD @C82?:K2E:@?D H@CC:65 3J E9C62ED 7C@> @C82?:K6CD @7 4@?G6?E:@?D 2?5 DA@CE:?8 6G6?ED E@ 3@J4@EE v6@C8:2 :7 E96 =68:D=2E:@? 3642>6 =2H]k^Am
kAmqFE E96?#6AF3=:42? v@G] }2E92? s62= G6E@65 E96 >62DFC6 27E6C 2 DE@C> @7 AC@E6DE 7C@> 4:G:= C:89ED 8C@FAD E92E :E E9C62E6?65 E96 C:89ED @7 E96 DE2E6’D {vq%” 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm$6EK=6C D2:5 9:D 3:== 😀 D:>:=2C E@ 2 3:A2CE:D2? 7656C2= #u#p =2H r@?8C6DD…
Read the full article here
