Virginia Senate committee kills religious freedom bill
The Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Wednesday killed a religious freedom bill that critics said would have allowed anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the state.
The committee by an 8-7 vote margin tabled House Bill 753, which state Del. Les Adams (R-Pittsylvania County) introduced.
“The bill exempts any place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society from the nondiscrimination in public places of accommodation provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act,” read the bill. “Under current law, such places of accommodation are exempt only when not open to the public.”
“The bill also removes the provision of the exemption for religious organizations under the Virginia Fair Housing Law that denies such exemption where the membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status or disability,” adds HB 753.
Read more: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/02/23/va-senate-committee-kills-religious-freedom-bill/
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