Arkansas state Senate approves religious protection bill cast by critics as anti-LGBT

FOX News ^ | March 27, 2015 | AP

[Jim Robinson]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas inched closer Friday toward becoming the second state this year to adopt a law that critics say would sanction discrimination against gays and lesbians, with the state Senate approving a religious protection bill.

The bill, approved by the Senate 24-7, prevents state and local government from taking any action that substantially burdens someone's religious beliefs unless a "compelling" interest is proven. The measure heads for a final vote next week in the House, which has already approved an initial version. The proposal faces an easy path forward, because Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he'll sign it into law.

One of the lawmakers behind the proposal said he didn't believe the measure would lead to widespread discrimination.

"You certainly cannot legislate meanness in certain people, and people are going to be mean whether we have this law or not," Republican Sen. Bart Hester told reporters after the vote.

But opponents have called it a thinly-veiled effort to endorse bias against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, with one lawmaker comparing it to the religious grounds used to endorse racial segregation and slavery.

"Having grown up in the South all my life, I know that religious freedom has meant that slavery was OK, it has meant that Jim Crow was OK, it has meant that it was OK to keep people from achieving that which they deserved," Democratic Sen. Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock said before the vote. "It is impossible for me having suffered from that religious freedom in a negative way to fail to say that we are better than this."

Six of the Senate's 11 Democrats voted against the measure...

[A_Former_Democrat]

Constitutional rights ALWAYS > statutory “rights”

ALWAYS

Those who oppose legislation like this are ignorant and don’t appreciate the Constitution. It’s all about them in their foolish, self centered little minds. Idiots all.

[PATRIOT1876]

*”Having grown up in the South all my life, I know that religious freedom has meant that slavery was OK, it has meant that Jim Crow was OK, it has meant that it was OK to keep people from achieving that which they deserved,” Democratic Sen. Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock said before the vote*

These are the numbskulls that give the South a bad name.
She never heard of the Dixiecrats?!?! It was HER party that fought to keep slavery. It was her party that fought against the Civil Rights Bill.

Her knowledge of religion is seriously lacking.
She is ignorant on SO many level!

[MeshugeMikey]

“segregation and slavery”...sure

we all discriminate and with good reason.

time to vaporize the post modern dsicrimination meme

[PapaNew]

Heck, the Bible is anti-LGBT. That is the whole gay agenda end game: ban Christianity and the Bible because it is anti-gay.

[OttawaFreeper]

But that would mean banning the Koran as well, wouldn’t it? Oops, that would be racist.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Heck, the Bible is anti-LGBT. That is the whole gay agenda end game: ban Christianity and the Bible because it is anti-gay.”

NAILED

[PapaNew]

The Koran isn’t on the gay agenda radar screen. It’s focused straight at prohibiting the Bible and the free exercise of Christian beliefs.

[SoFloFreeper]

Pretty pathetic that these kinds of laws are even CONSIDERED, since we HAVE A CONSTITUTION...

[ealgeone]

LBGT has nothing to worry about....some Clinton/bammy judge will toss out this will of the people as they have all of the other wills of the people.

It's time WE THE PEOPLE were heard from.

[FredZarguna]

This is already the standard that Federal Courts are obligated to apply according to the Supreme Court, and since Amendment I is Incorporated against the States, it's already the state law everywhere.

For all practical purposes, six committee democrats voted to deny the recognition of a right Arkansans already have.

[wagglebee]

Homosexual Agenda and Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the homosexual agenda or moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic homosexual agenda keyword search
[ Add keyword homosexual agenda to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

[mikelets456]

God’s Word has more “rules” for Heterosexuals than it does Homosexuals. Should I hate myself for being a straight, white christian?

[MichaelCorleone]

“Those who oppose legislation like this are ignorant and don’t appreciate the Constitution. It’s all about them in their foolish, self centered little minds. Idiots all.”

Yep. And I’m not about to be ruled by idiots.

[grumpygresh]

If gay activists tried to “force” unwilling Christian pastors into conducting a “homosexual “marriage”, I think that someone should counter by making the same demand of a Muslim Imam.

Forcing the gays to confront the Muslims is important because right now they have allied against Christians and conservatives.

[manc]

Correct me if I am wrong but I am on the understanding that we have something called freedom of religion in something called the 1st amendment in something called the constitution?

Now I am also on the understanding that homosexuals have the same rights as us. They can marry the opposite sex like us and we cannot marry the same sex like them .

Also I can’t find anything at all in the constitution which states homosexuals have the right to discriminate against the 1st amendment.

[manc]

nail on head

[PapaNew]

God loves them all and Jesus died to bring forgiveness to everybody. He died for gays but not for so-called “gay rights” (an oxymoron) or the satanic gay agenda.

[IronJack]

Didn’t Indiana just pass similar legislation? Hopefully, this is a growing trend.

[nascarnation]

Good day yesterday in Indiana