Senator Greg Kirk of Americus introduced a substitute version of the Pastor protection Act in the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday that combines the measure previously approved in the House with a modified version of the Pastor Protection Act, Senate Bill 284. After an hour-long hearing in the Rules Committee, the measure received a Do
The Georgia House unanimously passed House Bill 757, the Pastor Protection Act, on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate for its consideration. The measure, which is similar to laws in some other states reaffirms the separation of church and state in Georgia, and contains provisions that affirm a religious leader’s right to refuse to
Day 18 of the 2016 legislative session saw thousands of of religious freedom supporters ascend Capitol Hill to lobby legislators and attend a rally featuring Franklin Graham’s Decision America 2016 tour. The noontime rally at Liberty Plaza featured these words from Rev Graham, according to the AJC: “We are here today because we see our
In a hearing before a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee, HB 757, the Pastor Protection Act was recommended to be sent to the full judiciary committee after it was amended twice, and with a likely third amendment that could be added when the full committee meets. The subcommittee heard from two witnesses, Jeff Graham of Georgia
A bill that would have provided civil rights protections to LGBT individuals in Indiana failed earlier this week after Republicans couldn’t come to a consensus to move forward with the measure. According to a story in the Indianapolis Star, the failure of the bill to advance represents a victory for religious conservatives in the Hoosier
The Senate Rules Committee held a hearing on the First Amendment Defense Act this morning, although they took no action on the measure. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Greg Kirk, has been criticized by some for being unconstitutional, or worse. The short hearing consisted of one witness in addition to Sen. Kirk. Cathy Woolard, a
On Thursday, State Rep. Brian Strickland, a Republican representing District 111, filed a bill that prohibits discrimination within high school athletic memberships. House Bill 870 targets the Georgia High School Association’s restriction of certain private schools from participating in athletic events with other private and public schools, as well as addresses associations that prohibit religious expression
In the House hopper and awaiting its first reading is HB 837, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, sponsored by Ed Setzler of Acworth, Barry Fleming of Harlem, Sam Teasley of Marietta, and Matt Ramsey of Peachtree City. You may notice that there are no references in the bill to the least restrictive method of enforcing
From an email from Sen. Jesse Stone (GA-23, representing all or parts of Burke, Columbia, Emanuel Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, and Warren Counties): “During the 2015 General Assembly session, I was among 27 original sponsors of the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Senate Bill 129 authored by Sen. Josh McKoon. As
(A petition has been added below.) My Facebook feed is awash in lies from the Daily Currant and Duffelblog and The Onion and Donald Trump, so perhaps I might be forgiven from assuming that Andre Walker‘s piece on Georgia Unfiltered was fiction, parody designed solely to provoke people like me. Alas. State Senator Donzella James
