GEORGIA: Big Business Turns Up Heat On Gov. Nathan Deal, Demands Veto On Anti-LGBT RFRA Bill

From the Associated Press:

Georgia’s business community and other opponents of a bill protecting those who object to same-sex marriage called Thursday for Gov. Nathan Deal to veto it, likely starting weeks of intense lobbying on the Republican.

Some religious and political officials hailed the bill’s passage on Wednesday, thanking GOP leaders of the General Assembly for increasing “religious liberty” protections.

Republican leaders, meanwhile, hoped the measure would end years of legislative sparring over various protections for people acting on religious belief, rebutted by charges of discrimination from gay-rights advocates. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this year legalizing gay marriage sharpened the debate.

The measure would prevent government penalty against faith-based organizations that refuse to serve someone if it would violate a “sincerely held religious belief” or hire someone “whose religious beliefs or practices or lack of either” violate its religion. It includes language based on a federal “religious freedom restoration act,” preventing government from burdening religious belief.

“I think Gov. Deal appreciates all the good work that has been done during his time in office, and I don’t think he wants to see it undone,” Jenner Wood, a SunTrust Bank executive and chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s board, said.

The Atlanta chamber is among more than 500 companies and groups in a coalition called Georgia Prospers that formed this year to oppose any legislation that could harm the state’s reputation. It includes such recognizable companies as AT&T, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot and UPS.

NOM president Brian Brown calls the bill “watered down” but is demanding that Deal sign it anyway.

The Georgia legislature succumbed to pressure from the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBT extremists and significantly watered down religious liberty protections before sending the legislation (HB 757) to Governor Nathan Deal for his signature. Incredibly, it’s possible that Governor Deal will not sign even the modest protections in the bill, which are designed to protect pastors and religious groups from having to perform same-sex ‘weddings’ or forcing them to be hosted at their facilities.

NOM asks you to urge Governor Deal to sign HB 757 into law even though it is far from the robust legal protections that people of faith deserve. Please sign our petition to Governor Deal today.

Opponents of the bill like to talk about “discrimination” but the fact of the matter is that the only people who’ve been discriminated against when it comes to gay ‘marriage’ are people of faith. Individuals, small businesses and religious organizations have been sued, fined, punished and threatened with jail simply for standing up for the truth of marriage in their daily lives. Please sign our petition to Governor Nathan Deal asking him to support the modest religious freedoms protected by HB 757.

Deal has until May 3rd to act.