Official Press Release on Religious Freedom Bills

PRESS RELEASE: Family Council Supports Religious Freedom Restoration Acts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 2, 2015

On Thursday Family Council announced support for Arkansas House Bill 1228 and Senate Bill 975, two bills called “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “We are still urging Governor Hutchinson to sign House Bill 1228, the original religious freedom law passed by more than two-thirds of both the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate. If the Arkansas General Assembly passes Senate Bill 975, most of what we were trying to accomplish will have been done. The original religious freedom bill, H.B. 1228, was the Rolls Royce of religious freedom laws. S.B. 975, the replacement bill, is a Cadillac.”

Cox said that while H.B. 1228 is more clearly written, both bills have similar effects supporting religious liberty. “House Bill 1228, which was sent to the Governor first, spells out its definitions and effects very clearly. Senate Bill 975 relies on court rulings for many of its definitions. But many of House Bill 1228’s definitions were taken from court rulings, so in the end, I think both bills will help protect religious liberty.”

Cox called the controversy surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts unfounded. “The federal government passed the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993. At least twenty states have passed state laws to this effect since then. Many more protect religious liberty through court rulings. The sky hasn’t fallen in Kansas or Virginia because of their state religious freedom laws. It isn’t going to fall in Arkansas, either.”

Cox said a Religious Freedom Restoration Act is necessary to protect Arkansans of faith from government infringement. “These laws simply guarantee all Arkansans enjoy equal protection from the government infringing their free exercise of religion. If the government tries to force you to act against your deeply-held convictions, these laws help guarantee your day in court to defend yourself for obeying your religious beliefs. That’s something all Americans ought to be able to support.”

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Please Ask Governor Hutchinson to Sign HB1228

The Arkansas House of Representatives has voted to send H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to Governor Hutchinson to be signed into law.

This good bill affirms and upholds religious liberty in Arkansas. It is modeled after legislation in at least 20 other states and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by President Clinton in 1993.

All told, Arkansas is one of only 11 states with no law or court ruling on the books spelling out protections for religious liberty.

Please call Governor Asa Hutchinson’s office right away, and ask him to sign H.B. 1228 into law. This is a good bill that prevents the state from infringing religious liberty in Arkansas.

You can leave a message for Governor Hutchinson at (501) 682-2345.

You can send Governor Hutchinson a tweet at @AsaHutchinson.

Connecticut Boycotts Indiana Over Connecticut-Style RFRA

Connecticut is making headlines today for becoming the first state to officially boycott the State of Indiana over Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The only problem is Connecticut has a Religious Freedom Restoration Act on the books almost identical to Indiana’s.

The Connecticut law says,

“The state or any political subdivision of the state shall not burden a person’s exercise of religion under section 3 of article first of the Constitution of the state even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

“(b) The state or any political subdivision of the state may burden a person’s exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person (1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest, and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”

Indiana’s law says, “A state action, or an action taken by an individual based on state action, may not substantially burden a person’s right to the exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a law or policy of general applicability, unless the state or political subdivision of the state demonstrates that applying the burden to the person’s exercise of religion is: (1) essential to further a compelling governmental interest; and (2) the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest.”

Connecticut was among the first states to adopt a Religious Freedom Restoration Act–some 22 years ago, in 1993. The fact that Connecticut’s law has been on the books for so many years without any problems demonstrates protecting religious liberty from government infringement should not be controversial.