Jackson, Miss. (AP) – Lawmakers in conservative Mississippi find themselves in a tug-of-war over a religious-practices bill that some say is uncomfortably similar to one recently vetoed by Arizona’s Republican governor.
Christian Action Commission (CAC), a group that lobbies for the state’s influential Southern Baptist Convention, is urging lawmakers to pass the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Others say that Mississippi, with its history of racial oppression, should avoid any law that could lead to discrimination against gay people and other groups.
“Why are they trying to enact this?” former state Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz asked March 7. “No one’s religious beliefs are being trampled upon in Mississippi. My goodness, we have more churches per capita than any state in the nation.”
The bill has passed the Senate and awaits House debate this week. Trying to assuage fears about discrimination, a House committee removed portions similar to the Arizona measure—provisions that some attorneys said could give cover to private businesses that choose to discriminate. But critics say the Mississippi bill is still vaguely worded and subject to broad interpretation, and should be killed rather than tweaked.
In an email this week, CAC Executive Director Jimmy Porter urged lawmakers to pass the bill, saying a law would allow a person of any faith to cite his or her religious beliefs as a defense in a lawsuit.
“The national media pundits, the ACLU, LGBT lobby, and others have declared this bill as discriminatory and hateful,” Porter wrote. “That’s not true; the bill is about religious freedom.”
The Human Rights Campaign opposes the bill, as does the American Civil Liberties Union.
