Posted on 03/15/2016 5:40:30 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Governor Rick Scott signed HB 43, known as the “Pastor Protection Act,” into law on Thursday, March 10. This law protects clergy, churches, and religious organizations and their employees from civil action for refusing to perform same-sex marriages.
Rep. Scott Plakon sponsored HB 43 and began drafting the bill before the bizarre U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 opinion regarding marriage. Rep. Plakon said that a majority of the bill came from a similar Texas law. The law provides that churches or religious organizations, related organizations, or certain individuals may not be required to solemnize any marriage or provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods, or privileges for related purposes if such action would violate sincerely held religious beliefs.
(Excerpt) Read more at lc.org ...
1. Foremost, this kind of law ought to be unnecessary. The TRUTH is that the 1st Amendment really protects us from these things. A redundant law.
2. Doesn't go far enough: all businesses, people, etc. ought to be protected (and are) from those who wish to re-define marriage.
That being said, I think it is good an effort has been made....
this is good, considering there’s not such ####ing thing as “same sex” marriage.
I was sure he was going to chicken out, and rule in favor of LGBT causes. This is the right thing to do.
Bttt
And THIS is how we need to do things - on a STATE level - before all our states rights are taken from us.
Not to be Debbie Downer but some freak will challenge it and the courts will kill it. But its good to know that some one has a clue.
“Certain individuals?”
That language itself makes the law unconstitutional. Unequal protection is never an American value.
Like the state constitutional amendments passed in 30+ states affirming the real definitions of marriage? Are you kidding?
This newly passed law is exceedingly weak, and is almost worse than no law at all. It practically admits that without this law, pastors can be forced to perform fake weddings.
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