Arkansas to Move Ahead With Own “Religious Freedom” Bill

Demonstrators gather at Monument Circle to protest a controversial religious freedom bill recently signed by Governor Mike Pence. (photo: Nate Chute/Reuters)

Fiona Ortiz | Reuters | Reader Supported News | Marc 31, 2015

ndiana Republicans pledged on Monday to clarify a new “religious freedom” law, while similar proposals stalled in Georgia and North Carolina after businesses and activists said such measures could be used to discriminate against gays.

Arkansas lawmakers, however, signaled they would move forward with their own bill, even after Indiana was rebuked by companies and executives including Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook, and Eli Lilly and Co.

Indiana’s law, signed by Governor Mike Pence last week, was perceived as going further than those passed in 19 other states, giving businesses a right to refuse services on religious grounds.

Gay marriage became legal in Indiana last year following an appeals court ruling, and gay rights activists say Republicans pushed through the religious freedom act in response. The law was enacted months before an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling over state bans on same-sex marriage.

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West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio places travel ban on city-funded trips to Indiana

For immediate release on March 31, 2015

 For further information, contact:

Mayor Jeri Muoio
City of West Palm Beach
(561) 822-1400(561) 822-1400
jmuoio@wpb.org 

Judge Rand Hoch (retired), 
PBCHRC President and
Founder

(561) 358-0105
rand-hoch@usa.net

Media Release West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio places travel ban on  city-funded trips to Indiana West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio places travel ban on city-funded trips to Indiana (West Palm Beach, Florida) — In the wake of Indiana’s passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio became the first mayor in Florida to place a travel ban on city-funded trips to Indiana. “For more than two decades, West Palm Beach has been in the forefront, protecting the civil rights and ensuring equality for the LGBT community,” said Muoio. “Until Indiana’s discriminatory law is amended or repealed, West Palm Beach taxpayers will not subsidize legally-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT people.” Mayor Muoio took this action at yesterday’s City Commission meeting at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a local civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. “Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act sanctions outright discrimination against LGBT people,” said retired judge Rand Hoch, President and Founder of the Human Rights Council.  “We commend Mayor Muoio for putting her strong beliefs against bigotry into action by prohibiting taxpayer dollarsbeing used in Indiana.” Similar travel bans have been put into place by states of Connecticut and Washington, as well as the cities of Portland, Seattle and San Francisco. Muoio’s concern goes beyond the her own city. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors is scheduled to meet in Indianapolis next year,” explained Muoio.  “If Indiana’s law is not changed, I am going to ask the Conference to move the meeting to a more accepting locale.” ###

West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio places travel ban on city-funded trips to Indiana March 31, 2015 In the wake of Indiana’s passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio became the first mayor in Florida to place a travel ban on city-funded trips to Indiana. “For more than two decades, West Palm Beach has been in the forefront, protecting the civil rights and ensuring equality for the LGBT community,” said Muoio. “Until Indiana’s discriminatory law is amended or repealed, West Palm Beach taxpayers will not subsidize legally-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT people.” Mayor Muoio took this action at yesterday’s City Commission meeting at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a local civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. “Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act sanctions outright discrimination against LGBT people,” said retired judge Rand Hoch, President and Founder of the Human Rights Council.  “We commend Mayor Muoio for putting her strong beliefs against bigotry into action by prohibiting taxpayer dollarsbeing used in Indiana.” Similar travel bans have been put into place by states of Connecticut and Washington, as well as the cities of Portland, Seattle and San Francisco. Muoio’s concern goes beyond the her own city. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors is scheduled to meet in Indianapolis next year,” explained Muoio.  “If Indiana’s law is not changed, I am going to ask the Conference to move the meeting to a more accepting locale.”

Health professionals call for radical changes as HIV outbreak in Indiana hits ‘epidemic proportions’

A syringe is pictured along West Main Street in Scott County Picture: Christopher Fryer

MATTHEW DUNN | Herald Sun | March 30, 2015

State health officials from Scott County have recorded 81 HIV positive cases, including 74 confirmed cases and another 7 preliminary cases in the last several months.

The outbreak has been blamed on the counties widespread drug abuse and insufficient public health system.

As one of the more poverty stricken parts of the country, the rural area has long struggled with heroin addiction.

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Who’s pushing the ‘religious freedom’ legislation in states?

isa Suhay, Correspondent | The Christian Science Monitor | March 30, 2015

Norfolk, Va. — A recent opinion piece by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, lamented Indiana’s new ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act‘ as what he characterized as a “wave of legislation” which some claim is the result of the emerging power and reach of conservative “bill mills.”

“There’s something very dangerous happening in states across the country. A wave of legislation, introduced in more than two dozen states, would allow people to discriminate against their neighbors,” Mr. Cook wrote in The Washington Post. “Some, such as the bill enacted in Indiana last week that drew a national outcry and one passed in Arkansas, say individuals can cite their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer or resist a state nondiscrimination law. Others are more transparent in their effort to discriminate.”

Cook was referring to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and his state’s new “religious freedom” law, which gives business owners the right to decline serving customers based on religious grounds – in effect turning away LGBT customers.

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Thousands rally in Indianapolis to protest new anti-gay law: ‘No hate in our state’

Tom Boggioni | Raw Story | March 29, 2015

housands marched on the Indiana Statehouse Saturday, voicing their displeasure with Gov. Mike Pence (R) and the Indiana State Legislature over the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed into law on Thursday, reports RTV6.

Chanting “No hate in our state,” “Who’s State? Our State!” and “Fix the bill,” the crowd, estimated at over 3,000, marched from Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis and moved on to the Statehouse.

According to Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, a local attorney and TV commentator who attended the rally, “I haven’t seen a crowd this mad and motivated since the property tax crisis of 2007.”

The bill has drawn the ire of Indiana-based businesses and religious leaders, some of whom attended the rally against the law that would allow companies to deny services to gay people.

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Angie’s List halts expansion of Indianapolis headquarters over new state law that targets gays

Reuters | Raw Story | March 29, 2015

The company behind the Angie’s List business-rating website on Saturday put on hold a planned expansion of its Indianapolis headquarters over a new Indiana law that opponents say could allow companies to deny services to gay people.

The decision by Angie’s List Inc comes amid criticism of the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was passed overwhelmingly by both champers of the Republican led-state legislature and signed into law on Thursday by Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

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Anonymous Indiana restaurant owner boasts that he’s already discriminated against gays

David Ferguson | Raw Story | March 29, 2015

Indiana’s so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was signed into law on Thursday and already one Indianapolis business owner is boasting that he has denied LGBT people service at his restaurant.

According to Pink News, a caller named “Ryan” appeared on Indianapolis’ RadioNOW 100.9 to say that he is already denying service to LGBT people. He declined, however, to give the name of his business.

“I’m 100 percent behind people’s lifestyles, and what they want to do, but I don’t want them to bring that into my place of business, and make other people that are there feel uncomfortable,” he said.

“I grew up Christian, and I believe in man and woman, Adam and Even not Adam and Steve,” he went on. “If a couple comes into my restaurant and makes other people leave my place of business, then I’m losing more money from the people leaving than coming in.”

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WATCH: Indiana GOP leader admits ‘No Gays Allowed’ sign would be legal in most of the state

Eric W. Dolan | Raw Story | March 29, 2015

Republican leader in Indiana admitted Monday that discriminating against LGBT people was legal in most of the state — but not because of a new “religious freedom” law.

Facing a growing backlash, Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) and House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) held a press conference to discuss the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The GOP leaders said they planned to clarify that the new law doesn’t allow businesses and individuals to deny service to LGBT people on religious grounds.

But during the press conference, a reporter noted that Indiana does not have a state law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“You guys have said repeatedly that we shouldn’t be able to discriminate against anyone, but if you just ignore the existence of this law, can’t we already do that now? Can’t so-and-so in Richmond put a sign up and say ‘No Gays Allowed?’” she asked. “That’s not against the law, correct?”

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Let the boycotts begin: Salesforce and NCAA slam Indiana for passing anti-LGBT law

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff (Tech Crunch/Flickr Commons)

David Ferguson | Raw Story | March 26, 2015

The cloud computing company Salesforce and the National College Athletic Association have both condemned Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R)’s decision to sign into law a “religious freedom” bill that many rights advocates say could lead to anti-LGBT discrimination.

After Gov. Pence signed the bill on Thursday, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced via Twitter that he would be making good on his threat to cancel all of the company’s programs in Indiana.

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