Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Thursday, April 03, 2014
Mississippi Legislature Passes Religious Freedom Restoration Act
On Tuesday, the Mississippi legislature gave final passage to SB 2681, the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act after a Conference Committee took out some of the language that civil rights groups found objectionable. The final version of the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 37-14, and the House by a vote of 79-43. The bill now goes to Gov. Phil Bryant who, Reuters reports, will sign the bill. As passed, the bill requires state and local governments to demonstrate that they are using the least restrictive means to further a compelling governmental interest before they may substantially burden religious exercise. Opponents of the bill argued that it could permit discrimination against gays and lesbian on religious grounds. Another portion of the bill adds the phrase "In God We Trust" to the Mississippi seal.
Labels:
Mississippi,
RFRA