GOP Looks to ‘Calm The Seas’ on RFRA
Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma says Republicans will move forward with a bill in hopes of clarifying what he calls the “obvious misconception” of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. He says the language will emphasize the new law does not allow for discrimination. Bosma says Republicans have already begun work on the clarifying language.
State Senator Tim Lanane (D-25) believes Indiana has been “embarrassed before the nation,” and is calling for the full repeal of the bill.
Meantime, Connecticut has issued an Indiana travel advisory for state employees.
Source: Inside INdiana Business
March 27, 2015
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — There has been a tremendous amount of misinformation by both the opponents and proponents surrounding the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA).
Hopefully the information below will work to dispel the myths surrounding this piece of legislation. In addition, please visit our resource page for more information.
Why Indiana Needs Religious Freedom Legislation
The Indy Star recently published a piece that focuses on what the bill actually does. It was written by a Constitutional Law professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Daniel Conkle. Professor Conkle states that:
The bill would establish a general legal standard, the “compelling interest” test, for evaluating laws and governmental practices that impose substantial burdens on the exercise of religion. This same test already governs federal law under the federal RFRA, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. And some 30 states have adopted the same standard, either under state-law RFRAs or as a matter of state constitutional law.
16 Law Professors Urge Indiana Legislature to Pass RFRA
Read a letter written by 16 distinguished law professors from across the country about the need and legality of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In the letter, the professors explain their support for the legislation and address some of the objections opponents have made.
More questions regarding RFRA?
In order to help sort through the misinformation, we developed a list of frequently asked questions on this topic. Please click here to view this short FAQ.
Source: Indiana House Republicans