Georgia
Related: About this forumGeorgia GOP Set to Pass Religious Exemption for Wife Beaters & Child Abusers
Republicans in Georgia are about to pass a bill that would allow businesses and individuals to openly discriminate against others and even allow for domestic abuse against wives and children, all in the name of religious freedom.
Senate Bill 129, Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, is one of many that are being rammed through states across the country by Republicans who are screaming that their religious freedom is in jeopardy; but Georgias bill is by far the worst.
The bill states that,laws neutral toward religion may burden religious exercise as surely as laws intended to interfere with religious exercise, and the government shall not substantially burden a persons exercise of religion without a compelling governmental interest and by the least restrictive means of achieving that compelling governmental interest. It also defines religious exercise as a practice or observance of religion, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief.
That means that if I dont want to serve a gay person at my restaurant because I believe being gay is an abomination then I dont have to serve them. This isnt just a possibility, it will happen if this bill makes it into law because the bills sponsor, Sen. Josh McKoon, wouldnt allow any anti-discrimination amendments to be added to the bill.
Read more: http://www.occupydemocrats.com/georgia-gop-set-to-pass-religious-exemption-for-wife-beaters-child-abusers/
Rod Beauvex
(564 posts)Tell me this doesn't have a chance of passing.
anotojefiremnesuka
(198 posts)all the red states, especially in the south are taking all their old segregation, Jim Crow and other racist laws that were struck down by the courts, crossing out the word negro and replacing it with gay.
History repeats itself in the South, it always does.
George Santayana was right.
Arkansas Granny
(31,835 posts)We're seeing the same type of legislation here. Arkansas recently passed a bill that does not allow cities in the state to pass their own anti-discriminatory ordinances.
http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/little-rock/2015/02/23/arkansas-bars-expanded-local-anti-discrimination-laws/23903789/
Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)It sounds like a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
As for your Jim Crow analogy, bear in mind that racially segregated lunch counters and so on were perfectly legal in many states until the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. There is no constitutional right against discrimination by a private entity. There is no constitutional requirement that the federal government or any state government set about to uproot invidious discrimination by private entities.
If a state actually had a law on assault and battery that said, "You can't beat people up unless they're LGBT and you think God told you to hate them, then it's OK," that would raise an Equal Protection Clause issue. When it comes to bakers making cakes for same-sex weddings, though, the Constitution is silent. Would-be celebrants must rely on statutes to protect their rights.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)will GA banks have to lend with no interest?
anotojefiremnesuka
(198 posts)forgiven every 7 years so. God sez so or some thing like that and a whole bunch of rules and regs on agriculture and work hours and days and even rules for parties that go along with it.
I am sure the banks and mortgage companies will abide by my new found religious beliefs!
AwakeAtLast
(14,258 posts)What I want to know is how someone is going to know your sexual preference or religious affiliation.
Services denied based on "a hunch" does not seem legal.
Brainstormy
(2,429 posts)but the language is just word garbage. This could mean most anything. Or nothing.
KevJo
(2 posts)I'm too poor to move but if I could I would in a heartbeat. Outside of Atlanta and a few of the other larger cities, life in Georgia is social hell.