Posted on 03/27/2015 10:51:32 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas inched closer Friday toward becoming the second state this year to adopt a law that critics say would sanction discrimination against gays and lesbians, with the state Senate approving a religious protection bill.
The bill, approved by the Senate 24-7, prevents state and local government from taking any action that substantially burdens someone's religious beliefs unless a "compelling" interest is proven. The measure heads for a final vote next week in the House, which has already approved an initial version. The proposal faces an easy path forward, because Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he'll sign it into law.
One of the lawmakers behind the proposal said he didn't believe the measure would lead to widespread discrimination.
"You certainly cannot legislate meanness in certain people, and people are going to be mean whether we have this law or not," Republican Sen. Bart Hester told reporters after the vote.
But opponents have called it a thinly-veiled effort to endorse bias against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, with one lawmaker comparing it to the religious grounds used to endorse racial segregation and slavery.
"Having grown up in the South all my life, I know that religious freedom has meant that slavery was OK, it has meant that Jim Crow was OK, it has meant that it was OK to keep people from achieving that which they deserved," Democratic Sen. Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock said before the vote. "It is impossible for me having suffered from that religious freedom in a negative way to fail to say that we are better than this."
Six of the Senate's 11 Democrats voted against the measure...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The bill, approved by the Senate 24-7
If this were an amnesty bill they say it had outstanding bi-partisan support. Almost half of democrats supported it and 99% of republicans supported.
Answer: So what?
Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said.[Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins]
So almost half the Democraps even voted for this. ITS COMMON SENSE!
The poopstorm we are taking here in Indiana over this might very well play a part in the vote coming up.
I think this might be why so many activists are tearing Mike Pence a new one, to shy other states away from it.
When it comes to male queers, it is the right of every person on the planet to discriminate against this disease ridden mob of perverts. Demanding that practices of basic sanitation, hygiene, and civilized behavior apply even to these coprophiliacs is within our rights and for the protection of our children.
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