Rev. Chris Donald calls for the Senate to defeat HB 1523 on March 23.
The state Senate passed House Bill 1523, the so-called Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, Wednesday by a vote of 32-17, The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson reports. Thursday morning the Senate took a second vote, sending the bill on to the House for concurrence, as the version passed by the Senate differs slightly from the one adopted by the House in February, reports BuzzFeed. If the House votes to concur, which is expected next week, the bill will go to Gov. Phil Bryant for his signature.
The act states that the government cannot penalize an individual, organization, or business for acting according to the following “sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions”: that “marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman”; that “sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage”; and that “male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individual’s immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth.”
The bill would therefore allow businesses to turn away customers or prospective employees by citing such beliefs, without repercussions. It would allow employees of county circuit clerks’ offices, which issue marriage licenses in the state, to refuse service to same-sex couples if they object to the marriage on religious grounds, also without repercussions. It could be used to discriminate against single parents and even conceivably allow employers to fire female workers for wearing pants, as it protects employers’ and schools’ right to maintain “sex-specific standards or policies concerning employee or student dress or grooming.”
Sen. Jenifer Branning, a supporter of the bill, argued to her colleagues Wednesday that the measure was designed to protect providers of wedding goods and services who oppose same-sex marriage, and denied that it had broader implications.
There’s more on this monstrosity of a legislation at Buzzfeed.
That’ll show North Carolina they have no business competing in the most-backward-state tournament!
(And I say that as a deep-rooted native of Mississippi…)
HB 1523 is codified bigotry, illogical (anatomy and genetics can contradict at birth) and it’s unclear if the law is constitutional. The State of Mississippi has real problems like poverty, obesity and infant mortality and the legistlators are worried that they can’t discriminate enough against LGTBI people and women wearing pants.
Mississippi has a big dependence on tourism, neh?
This could complicate them out of any foreigner ever setting foot.
That goes a long, long way past “anti-LGBT” -- it’s much bigger than that. That may be what’s in the forefront of their minds right now, but they’ve clearly thought carefully about that wording to allow it to get much wider later. That encompasses all unmarried couples, gay or straight. You want contraception? Marriage certificate please. You want a double room? Marriage certificate please. And so on.
sonofrojblake @ 4:
Yes, it is, and that has not escaped notice. Basically, this will make the state a legal theocracy.
Does that bill discriminate by religion? Because if not, then I know two religions that can discriminate against Sen. Jennifer Branning unless she covers her indecent hair, body and face, and provide proof that she isn’t currently menstruating.
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chigau #3
LGBT people are a minority. Likely there is even less of them among people visiting Mississippi already. Mississippi might get boycotted by companies/groups/individuals who weren’t going there in the first place, and maybe a small number of those who would have, but I doubt that it’d have a noticeable impact.
Always bet on bigotry winning.
Always.
chigau … @ # 3: Mississippi has a big dependence on tourism, neh?
Yes, particularly hunters, casino gamblers, and antiques freaks. That last-named group includes a fair percentage of yuppies & gays; most others seem likely to turn a relatively deaf ear to progressive boycott pleas.
(my highlighting)
Does this mean all marriages so far will be invalid? And they’ll never be able to re-marry in the state? I doubt a lot of people got a genetic test for their XY-chromosomes done when they were born. And what about people where it doesn’t match?