House Committee Votes to Concur on Religious Freedom Bill

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This morning the House Judiciary Committee voted to concur in the amendments the Arkansas Senate made to H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

This brings the bill one step closer to the governor’s desk.

The bill passed the committee with 11 representatives voting for it; 5 representatives voting against it; and 4 representatives not voting.

Below is a breakdown of the vote.

The Following Representatives Voted for the Bill

  • Rep. House (R-North Little Rock)
  • Rep. Ballinger (R-Hindsville)
  • Rep. Baine (D-El Dorado)
  • Rep. Farrer (R-Austin)
  • Rep. Petty (R-Rogers)
  • Rep. Drown (R-Dover)
  • Rep. Michelle Gray (R-Melbourne)
  • Rep. Copeland (R-Little Rock)
  • Rep. Tosh (R-Jonesboro)
  • Rep. Beck (R-Center Ridge)
  • Rep. Rushing (R-Hot Springs)

The Following Representatives Voted Against the Bill

  • Rep. Scott (R-Rogers)
  • Rep. Eddie Armstrong (D-North Little Rock)
  • Rep. Whitaker (D-Fayetteville)
  • Rep. Broadaway (D-Paragould)
  • Rep. Bennett (D-Lonoke)

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

  • Rep. Vines (D-Hot Springs)
  • Rep. Talley (D-Hope)
  • Rep. Wright (D-Forrest City)
  • Rep. Shepherd (R-El Dorado)

The bill now goes to the entire House of Representatives for a vote.

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Please Contact Your Senator About HB 1228

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House Bill 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon. However, the entire Arkansas Senate has not voted on it yet.

The Arkansas Legislature will adjourn very soon; if the Arkansas Senate does not vote for this important bill right away, there may not be enough time to get the bill passed into law before the legislative session ends.

I need you to contact your senator right away. Please ask him or her to support H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This good bill is similar to legislation passed in 21 other states; Indiana just passed a Religious Freedom Restoration Act this week. These laws help affirm the free exercise of religion under state law, and they prevent further erosion of religious liberty.

You can leave a message asking your senator to vote for H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, by calling the Senate Switchboard at (501) 682-2902.

Opponents of this good bill are already calling your legislators. Please contact your senator in support of H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, right away.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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Navy Chaplain Fired for Expressing Religious Views

Religious Freedom,

Recently, news broke about the Lt. Commander Wes Modder, a Navy chaplain who served the U.S. Navy SEALs, who was targeted by the U.S. Navy for being honest about his faith.

Family Research Council has some details on the case:

“[T]he 19-year veteran has been stripped of his duties for sharing the good news he was hired to share. In a stunning turn of events, the chaplain was sabotaged by one of his own men, who secretly gathered enough information on Modder’s beliefs and private counseling sessions to file a formal complaint. Believe it or not, he was targeted by his own assistant — who Modder didn’t realize was gay. Looking back, the chaplain says the young officer asked a lot of questions about homosexuality, which Modder answered as most would expect: in accordance with the Bible’s teachings.

“The mask finally slipped in December, when representatives with the Equal Opportunity office served Modder with papers accusing him of ‘discrimination.’ Captain Jon Fahs — who five months earlier praised Modder as the ‘best of the best’ — now insists that he ‘failed to show tolerance and respect.’ Worse, he didn’t have a chance to defend himself. Almost immediately, the dad of four was relieved of his duties and told to clean out his office.

“He was guilty before proven innocent. And of what? Fulfilling his job description?”

Chaplains have been a part of the U.S. military since the days of George Washington. A chaplain’s duty is religious in nature. If chaplains are not free to discuss their faith, then what are they free to discuss? What’s the point of having chaplains in the military if they are not free to be religious and share the tenets of the faith that motivates their service? It simply does not make sense.

We will continue to monitor this situation in the days to come.

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