Gov. Nixon joins St. Louis-area firms in opposing religious objections measure

Top executives from some of the St. Louis area’s largest companies say Missouri’s proposed religious freedom bill could have a devastating impact on the state’s economy.

Leaders from Monsanto, MasterCard and other firms joined Gov. Jay Nixon Friday at the St. Louis Regional Chamber to express opposition to Senate Joint Resolution 39. The bill survived a 37-hour filibuster by Senate Democrats.

The proposal calls for amending the state Constitution to create religious protections for some businesses objecting to gay marriage.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced its opposition to the bill Thursday.

Republican sponsor Sen. Bob Onder, of Lake St. Louis, has disputed claims that the measure could hurt business.

Governor Nixon has gone on record that the religious liberty bill is unfair to the LGBT community. Nixon probably hopes no one in the LGBT knows about Dan Wagler. He was a high school teacher and wrestling coach who got 50 years for voluntary sexual activity with a male student. He appealed that the length of his sentence was excessive compared to the punishment of heterosexual teachers. State attorney general Jay Nixon’s office fought against the appeal and won. At the time (mid 90’s) Nixon was preparing for his failed Senate bid and knew that throwing the book at a male teacher guilty of oral sex acts with a 17 year old male student would be popular with outstate Missouri, (outside of the 3 liberal bastions of the state, Columbia, KC, & St Louis). Wagler is still in a Missouri prison with about 25 years to go.

I’ve taught in public school for close to 30 years and have no doubt that Wagler deserved to go to jail, but most murders don’t get 50 years. Wagler was right that he got a longer sentence because the jury considered the homosexual nature of his crime worse than a heterosexual teacher; and especially if the teacher had been a female and the student a 17 year old male. I’m not defending Wagler but just pointing out Nixon’s hypocrisy. Nixon had no problem discriminating against a homosexual when there were votes on the line.

BTW, one of Wagler’s classmates at Graceland college; Bruce Jenner.

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