Columbus lawmaker re-introduces controversial religious freedom bill

Atlanta, Ga. - A Columbus lawmaker has re-introduced a controversial religious freedom bill after the legislation failed to pass last year.

This week – Georgia State Senator Josh McKoon proposed Georgia Senate Bill 129. Supporters say the bill prevents the government from encroaching on faith-based beliefs, but opponents argue it would allow businesses to discriminate against gay people.

After a similar bill failed last year, McKeon re-introduced legislation this week that would extend the religious liberty for Georgia citizens. He says he wants to make sure Georgia citizens are protected from the government infringing on the first amendment right to freedom of religion.

“I think our founders understood that with the First Amendment to the constitution, the very first thing it protects is your religious liberty,” said McKoon.

But the bill has been greeted with some backlash – most notably from LGBT supporters. They're concerned it would give business owners and employees the right to claim religious beliefs as a reason not to serve gay customers.

“This goes back to the civil rights, where they were turned down because of the color of their skin,” said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of the COLGAY Pride. “Now you want to create legislation because you want to turn down a service to someone because they're gay, straight or transgender?”

McKoon says the bill is not discriminatory and these claims are false.

“100-percent not true,” said McKoon “The critics of this legislation are basically using it to scare very good people, to try and raise money for their radical, far-left agendas, 30 states have this legislation in place, the federal government has had this legislation in place for two decades and the opponents can't cite to a single case of discrimination that has been shielded by a religious liberty defense.”

McKoon says he was hoping to fast track the bill, but it stalled Thursday after it was tabled in its first Senate Judiciary Hearing.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee wanted to amend the bill to add language that would prevent child abuse and discrimination. However, McKoon objected, saying he wanted to keep the language as close to the federal language as possible. The committee, chaired by McKoon, voted to table the bill.

Many states have adopted state-level religious freedom acts after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the federal religious freedom act did not apply to states.

McKoon says his goal when writing the bill was to mirror the federal language. SB 129 uses much the same language as federal legislation passed by Congress in 1993 and signed by President Bill Clinton. It asserts that government has to show a compelling interest for why its policy should override an individual's religious freedom.

Other opponents say the legislation is not needed and could have unintended or discriminatory consequences. Last year, when McKoon proposed the bill, several of Georgia's large corporations spoke out against the legislation. Coca-Cola, Delta and Home Depot all stated they did not support the bill because they saw lawsuits being filed in other parts of the country against business that declined to give goods or services for gay weddings.

There are similar efforts in the House, led by Georgia Representative Sam Teasley (R-Marietta). House Bill 218 extends religious liberty for Georgia citizens. McKoon says the two bills are almost iden