Texas
Related: About this forumReligious refusal bill that LGBT community calls 'license to discriminate' approved by Texas Senate
AUSTIN The Texas Senate has approved a bill that would give legal cover to counselors, attorneys and other state-licensed professionals who deny services based on their religious beliefs.
Senate Bill 17 by Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, was passed Wednesday by a vote of 19-12. One Republican, Kel Seliger of Amarillo, voted against the bill and one Democrat, Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, voted in favor during the preliminary vote on the bill Tuesday.
The bill would prohibit the state's hundreds of occupational licensing boards from enacting rules or regulations that burden "an applicant's or license holder's free exercise of religion." It would also give those licensed by the state including lawyers, social workers and therapists the ability to fight to keep their license if it is threatened because of actions they took based on their faith.
Peace officers or those providing lifesaving services would be exempted from the bill, and it would not protect the license holders from losing their job or from other negative repercussions based on their actions, like lawsuits. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made the bill a priority.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2019/04/02/religious-refusal-bill-gets-preliminary-approval-texas-senate
Freethinker65
(9,934 posts)Farmer-Rick
(10,072 posts)I have a religion that says I have to slap every stupid person I meet. My hand is getting sore and I avoid a lot of people. But if I get a state job that will let me hit people, like my religion requires, I think I'll sign up and keep slapping.