Gov. Nathan Deal was unequivocal in his opposition to a revived religious liberty measure on Thursday, signaling he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk.
I didnt want there to be any confusion about where I stand on the RFRA bill: I have no desire or appetite to entertain that legislation, Deal said.
He was referring to a one-page proposal introduced this week by state Sen. Marty Harbin that brought the debate over the legislation back to the forefront. Harbins measure would require the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to apply in Georgia.
The governor on Wednesday said the state must take an extremely cautious approach to the measure but also said it was only fair that we give it due consideration. A day later, though, Deals position had hardened as he criticized Harbins proposal in unsparing terms.
Our state is doing exceptionally well and weve seen rather disastrous consequences from other states who have made a departure on that issue, he said. I see no reason or justification for us to do anything further.
An uphill climb
Harbins measure is significantly scaled down from the eight-page bill that Deal vetoed last year, in part to make it harder for the governor to oppose. Deal, while a member of Congress, voted for the federal version of the legislation that Harbins measure addresses.
Even though it has about 20 Republican co-sponsors, the legislation faces an arduous climb in the statehouse.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston backed last years version of the proposal but moved this year to try to put the contentious debate behind them. Both have repeatedly said it should be up to federal lawmakers and not state ones to tackle the debate thats divided the Legislature for more than three years.
In a clear sign that he is still queasy with the measure, Cagle assigned Harbins proposal, Senate Bill 233, to a committee on Wednesday that gives him and his allies more control over whether the bill moves forward.
The legislation has taken on various forms over time, but supporters typically want Georgia to join the 21 other states that have similar laws they say will protect people of faith from government intrusion, as well as strengthen legal protections for opponents of gay marriage.
Harbin and other supporters say that, at the very minimum, Georgia should commit to upholding the 1993 RFRA legislation supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
That statute requires the government to prove a compelling governmental interest before it interferes with a persons exercise of religion. A 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling concluded that the law doesnt apply to the states, and dozens of legislatures have since passed their own versions to cover actions by state governments.
State Sen. Josh McKoon, one of the most outspoken advocates for the legislation, said Republican lawmakers owe it to their constituents to vote on the measure.
Almost every Republican legislator I know of with a contested election last year campaigned on religious freedom legislation, McKoon said. Can anyone credibly say if a Democratic governor was threatening a veto of SB 233 that there would be any hesitation among Republican legislators moving forward? Of course not.
Not part of my agenda
The opponents, including powerful business boosters and gay rights groups, warn the measure amounts to legalized discrimination and point to executives from dozens of big-name companies, including Apple, Disney and Time Warner, who called on the governor to veto the bill.
And theyve been quick to cite Indiana and North Carolina as cautionary tales. Indiana still faces economic aftershocks after passing similar legislation in 2015, while North Carolina has been at the center of a raging national debate and the loss of high-profile sports and cultural events after adopting a much broader measure involving transgenders using bathrooms.
Deal, too, invoked the struggles in both those states when pressed on his stance for this years legislative proposal. In two separate interviews, he tacked to his veto message from last year, in which he said religious liberty legislation threatens to undercut Georgias pro-business environment and its welcoming image.
This is not something that is part of my agenda, he said, and its something I do not view as being beneficial to the state.
Legislative session coverage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the largest team covering the Georgia Legislature. To see more of its legislative coverage, go to http://www.myajc.com/georgia-legislature/. To track particular bills and resolutions, check out the Georgia Legislative Navigator at http://legislativenavigator.myajc.com/. You can also follow the proceedings on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GAPoliticsNews or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/gapoliticsnewsnow.
Subscribe to our newsletter for more news about Georgia politics. Subscribe to politics news alerts in the AJC news app.
See the original post here:
Georgia governor opposes new 'religious liberty' bill - MyAJC
- Information Overload - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Same-Sex Marriage Gains - Iowa, DC and Vermont - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama and the Muslim World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nordyke - Incorporation of the Second Amendment to Apply to the States - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama's First 100 Days - Reclaiming the Constitution* - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Education Reform - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Legalize (and Tax) Vice - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama World vs. Cheney World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- National Rifle Association v. Chicago (McDonald v. Chicago) Oral Arguments* - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Reconciling Liberty and Progressive Government - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama in the Middle East - A Respectful, Rational Voice - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Second Amendment Incorporation Update - Seventh Circuit Decision - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Strong versus Weak Judging - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Drawing the Line on the Obama Administration's National Security Practices - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Supreme Court Amicus Brief in McDonald v. Chicago - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago Amicus Brief - Volokh Conspiracy Link - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Healthcare Reform - Voices of Reason from Senators Wyden & Bennett - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Time to Legalize Drugs - Sensible WaPo Article - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Article in William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal: Rescuing the Fourteenth Amendment Privileges or Immunities Clause - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Just Do It - Obama Needs Backbone for Meaningful Healthcare Reform, a la FDR - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nordyke v. King Rehearing - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Huge News - Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in McDonald v. Chicago re: Privileges or Immunities - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama Needs to Take Stands on Principle - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Kudos to Harry Reid for Including Public Option in Proposed Health Care Bill - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Free Radicals - Individual Efforts Can Change the World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Destroy the Filibuster - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Petitioner's Brief - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Something on Which We Can All Agree - Less Government in Criminal Justice - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Obama Approach to Governing; Afghanistan Policy - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Law Professors' Amicus Brief - December 15th, 2009 [December 15th, 2009]
- Senate Passes Health Care Insurance Reform - Reflections - December 25th, 2009 [December 25th, 2009]
- "Radicals In Their Own TIme" - Introduction & Selected Excerpts - January 1st, 2010 [January 1st, 2010]
- Terrific WaPo Farewell Column by Ellen Goodman - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Same-Sex Marriage Case in California - January 20th, 2010 [January 20th, 2010]
- Health Care; Corporate Speech Case - January 23rd, 2010 [January 23rd, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Essay in Cardozo Law Review de novo Online Journal - January 29th, 2010 [January 29th, 2010]
- Another Response to Citizens United: Remove Supreme Court Appellate Jurisdiction - February 11th, 2010 [February 11th, 2010]
- Olympics Idealism - March 1st, 2010 [March 1st, 2010]
- Framers Believed in Virtuous (ie, Humane) Government - March 21st, 2010 [March 21st, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Yesterday's Oral Argument - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- Radicals in Their Own Time: Four Hundred Years of Struggle for Liberty and Equal Justice in America - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago decision - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- OpEd on McDonald v Chicago Case - June/July 2010 - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- New Blog Format - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- New Book - Radicals in Their Own Time - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Liberty Property Trust Hosts First Quarter 2012 Results Conference Call - March 31st, 2012 [March 31st, 2012]
- Liberty Property Trust Announces First Quarter 2012 Results - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Energy Announces Creation of Advisory Board and Appointment of Its First Member - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Tire Recycling, Keep Atlanta Beautiful and City of Atlanta Tire Commission Join Forces for Large-Scale Tire ... - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Bowl set for afternoon kick New Year's Eve - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Bowl Announces Date and Time - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty ship sinking remembered - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Union searching for girls basketball coach - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- How to Do a Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Review: The "Liberty I" Ultra Compact Compound Bow vs. "Razor Edge" and "Slingbow" - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Heavy Rain in Liberty City: Episode 1 (Grand Theft Auto IV Machinima) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Jordan Page "Liberty" (Acoustic Version) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty - Cinematic Trailer - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- China 9 Liberty 37 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Liberty`s Kids: #05 "Midnight Ride" (1/2) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate Live - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- I Pledge to Join Young Americans for Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Steve Vai - Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- North Liberty fire chief: Email blasting staff was meant to motivate - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- FCC dismisses Liberty Media request for control of SiriusXM - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Liberty FCC Request to Control Sirius XM Radio Rejected - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- FCC rejects Liberty Media bid for Sirius XM control - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Liberty Rocket Targets 2015 - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Liberty boosts SiriusXM stake above 45% - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- One Liberty Properties, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2012 Results - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Liberty to boost stake in Sirius XM to 45 pct - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- ATK Announces Complete Liberty System to Provide Commercial Crew Access - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Penn Liberty Wealth Advisors Expands - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Romney Woos Evangelicals at Liberty University - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Liberty opener moved to MSG due to hockey game - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Defends Marriage and Faith in Liberty University Speech - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Speaks At Anti-Gay Liberty University Alongside Baptist Billionaire - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Liberty Center girls, Archbold boys reign - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Courts Christian Conservatives at Liberty U - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]