Indiana Governor Backs Anti-Discrimination Fix in Self-Pitying Speech About “Religious Freedom” Law

[DonViejo]

Indiana Governor Backs Anti-Discrimination Fix in Self-Pitying Speech About “Religious Freedom” Law

By Ben Mathis-Lilley

In a press conference that repeatedly blamed the media for “mischaracterization” of the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said he now supports reforming the law in a way that prohibits businesses from denying service to LGBT individuals.

Legal experts have said that the law is in fact written to allow businesses to claim the religious right to deny service, and Pence had said previously that he was not interested in adding anti-discrimination language to the bill. Today, though, he supported such new language and called the suggestion that RFRA enables denials of service a “smear” that is “so offensive to me as a Hoosier.”

Pence repeatedly said that the law is not a “license to discriminate,” blaming the press for asserting otherwise—but during a Sunday appearance on This Week With George Stephanopoulos, it was Pence himself who refused multiple opportunities to dispute the claim that, for example, a florist could cite the law in refusing to work a gay couple’s wedding.

Here’s a transcript of the governor’s prepared remarks on Tuesday:

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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/03/31/mike_pence_press_conference_supports_rfra_reform_complains_about_media.html?

[Myrina]

1. Notice how many times he said "change the perception" ...

... rather than changing the backwards ass law, or the backwards ass hateful hillbillies that run rampant in this state. He just wants people to think Indiana is part of the 21st century - as long as the money is still coming in, we don't really have to be in the 21st century (in his mind).