LGBT rights amendment proves to be ‘poison pill’ for Georgia’s ‘religious freedom’ bill
Source: RawStory
As reactions swirl to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R)’s decision to sign into law a bill legalizing discrimination in the state so long as it is done on religious grounds, a similar bill in Georgia has stalled out in committee.
According to the New Civil Rights Movement blog, state Sen. Josh McKoon (R)’s bill was derailed by a fellow Republican, who attached a provision to the proposed Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that would stop it from violating Georgians’ civil rights, including those of LGBT people.
The state Senate passed the bill on March 5 and it was assigned to a special House Judiciary Committee before it would be allowed to go up for a full House vote. It was in that committee on Thursday afternoon that state Rep. Mike Jacobs (R) added an amendment to the bill — the conservative organization Concerned Women for America (CWA) called it a “poison pill” — that would uphold the state’s civil rights laws and protections for LGBT Georgians.
Jacobs told the committee that he has had too many calls and emails from constituents worried about the bill’s unintended consequences and long-term effects. “This is the amendment which will gut this bill,” said Republican Rep. Barry Fleming before the vote on Jacobs’ amendment, according to the AP.
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Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/lgbt-rights-amendment-proves-to-be-poison-pill-for-georgias-religious-freedom-bill/
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