Religious rights bill advances through Georgia Senate

ATLANTA — A bill that would expand religious rights passed the Georgia Senate on Thursday over objections that it could lead to discrimination against gay people.

The Senate voted along party lines, 33-19, to approve the religious rights legislation, which would limit the government’s ability to enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs.

Republican supporters of the idea said it’s “common sense” while Democrats opposing it said they fear a “catastrophic impact” if religious adoption agencies refuse to place children with gay couples.

“Every Georgian should be free to worship and exercise their faith without unfair state or local government intrusion,” said state Sen. Ed Setzler, a Republican from Acworth. “It makes the government stop and think.”

State Sen. Kim Jackson, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, said greater religious rights could be used against families like hers, two women raising a 3-year-old boy.

Jackson is an Episcopal priest, and her wife is a Muslim imam. She said people could cite their religious beliefs to deny child care, refuse a hotel room or reject adoptions by gay couples.

“It’s an invitation for Georgians to consider how they want to discriminate. It’s a permission slip,” Jackson said. “When it’s your loved one in the moment who needs a tow truck or a hotel to stay in, there will be no protection for them.”

Since then-Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a previous religious rights proposal in 2016, similar proposals have been routinely considered by the General Assembly. Gov. Brian Kemp said during his 2018 campaign that he would sign a bill that mirrors religious rights language enacted by Congress in 1993. This year’s version of the legislation, Senate Bill 180, is similar to the federal law.

Thirty-four other states already have religious rights laws, but Georgia is one of three states without a statewide nondiscrimination law.

“Without having a statewide civil rights law, SB 180 could create a broad license to discriminate on the basis of faith with no necessary protections against discrimination,” said Georgia Equality, a gay rights group. “This is not a hypothetical — (religious rights laws) are already doing real harm in other states.”

For example, Georgia Equality said, religious rights laws have denied access to contraception and HIV prevention treatment.

But Christian supporters of the bill said religious rights laws haven’t been used for discrimination.

They cited examples of such laws being used to defend the rights of a Muslim woman who was required to show her face in public for a driver’s license photo and a Native American boy who was required by a school dress code to cut his hair.

“We look forward to seeing the First Amendment protections of all Georgians restored and expect the House to move this bill quickly,” said Cole Muzio, president of Frontline Policy Action, a conservative advocacy group.

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