MISSOURI: Anti-LGBT Bill Advances To House

Late yesterday afternoon the Missouri Senate advanced GOP Sen. Bob Onder’s anti-LGBT bill to the state House. The Human Rights Campaign reacts:

Similar to so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” legislation introduced in other states, this extreme resolution would lead to a ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would enshrine discrimination against LGBT people and their families into the state constitution. If the House of Representatives passes the resolution, it would go directly to the ballot and the governor would have no opportunity to veto it.

“SJR 39 is an irresponsible and shameful attempt by Missouri lawmakers to put LGBT people and their families in serious danger of even further discrimination,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The freedom to practice one’s religion is one of the founding principles of our country, but to use it as a means of state-sanctioned discrimination is completely unacceptable. We call on the Missouri House of Representatives to listen to the overwhelming chorus of pro-equality voices outraged by this proposal and reject this attack on LGBT people.”

Earlier this week, the Senate Democrats vigorously fought to stop the anti-equality majority with a historic 39-hour filibuster effort that drew national attention and praise. The discriminatory proposal has received widespread condemnation from fair-minded Missourians and businesses throughout the state, including Governor Jay Nixon, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Dow Chemical Company, and Monsanto. The St. Louis Regional Chamber on Twitter said the proposal is “counter to MO values & will have negative economic consequences.” Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders also spoke out against the bill.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has denounced the bill:

When they came for the gays, did you speak up? For nearly 40 hours this week, the eight Democrats in the Missouri Senate did.

Republicans were pushing one of their misplaced priorities, a constitutional amendment that if passed by voters would enshrine discrimination against gays and lesbians into the very document that exists to protect those rights. One by one, and two by two, the outnumbered members of the minority party took their turns holding the floor for nearly two full days.

Then the hammer was brought down by the president pro tem of the Senate, Ron Richard, R-Joplin, and the sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution No. 39, Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis. They broke their own rules to cut off debate and pass their resolution of hate.

That’s not what they call it, of course. Republicans pitch SJR 39 as a “religious freedom” bill, and to the extent that it seeks to “protect” clergy from being punished by the government for their refusal to perform same-sex weddings, it is.

Except that when you consider that in a country with a First Amendment that has forever protected religious freedom, it’s inconceivable that Missouri’s government would ever consider forcing clergy to perform same-sex weddings if it violated their religious tradition. It hasn’t happened. It won’t happen. It simply can’t happen.

Republicans hold a 2-1 majority in the Missouri House.