How Georgia lawmakers voted on the 'religious liberty' bill
The Georgia Legislature passed a “religious liberty” bill Wednesday, capping two years of intense and sometimes bitter debate at the Gold Dome.
The legislation, which is seen by some conservatives as an answer to the Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage but by corporate leaders and gay rights activists as state-sanctioned discrimination.
The bill would allow faith-based organizations to deny services to those who violate their “sincerely held religious belief” and preserve their right to fire employees who aren’t in accord with those beliefs. It would also require government to prove a “compelling governmental interest” before it interferes with a person’s exercise of religion, and it includes a clause saying it could not be used to allow discrimination banned by state or federal law.
Here is the breakdown of the vote on House Bill 757. The Speaker votes only if needed to break a tie, which was not the case.
Senate
| Name | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| John Albers | Republican | Yea |
| Brandon Beach | Republican | Yea |
| Charlie Bethel | Republican | Yea |
| Ellis Black | Republican | Yea |
| Dean Burke | Republican | Yea |
| Bill Cowsert | Republican | Yea |
| Mike Crane | Republican | Yea |
| Mike Dugan | Republican | Yea |
| Frank Ginn | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Gooch | Republican | Yea |
| Marty Harbin | Republican | Yea |
| Tyler Harper | Republican | Yea |
| Bill Heath | Republican | Yea |
| Jack Hill | Republican | Yea |
| Hunter Hill | Republican | Yea |
| Judson Hill | Republican | Yea |
| Chuck Hufstetler | Republican | Yea |
| William Jackson | Republican | Yea |
| Rick Jeffares | Republican | Yea |
| Burt Jones | Republican | Yea |
| John Kennedy | Republican | Yea |
| Greg Kirk | Republican | Yea |
| William Ligon, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| P. K. Martin IV | Republican | Yea |
| Joshua McKoon | Republican | Yea |
| Fran Millar | Republican | Yea |
| Butch Miller | Republican | Yea |
| Jeff Mullis | Republican | Yea |
| David Shafer | Republican | Yea |
| Jesse Stone | Republican | Yea |
| Bruce Thompson | Republican | Yea |
| Lindsey Tippins | Republican | Yea |
| Renee Unterman | Republican | Yea |
| Lawrence Walker III | Republican | Yea |
| John Wilkinson | Republican | Yea |
| Tommie Williams | Republican | Yea |
| Michael Williams | Republican | Yea |
| Name | Party | Vote |
| Gloria Butler | Democrat | Nay |
| Gail Davenport | Democrat | Nay |
| Vincent Fort | Democrat | Nay |
| Ed Harbison | Democrat | Nay |
| Steve Henson | Democrat | Nay |
| Lester Jackson | Democrat | Nay |
| Donzella James | Democrat | Nay |
| Emanuel Jones | Democrat | Nay |
| Harold Jones II | Democrat | Nay |
| David Lucas | Democrat | Nay |
| Nan Orrock | Democrat | Nay |
| Elena Parent | Democrat | Nay |
| Michael "Doc" Rhett | Democrat | Nay |
| Valencia Seay | Democrat | Nay |
| Freddie Sims | Democrat | Nay |
| Horacena Tate | Democrat | Nay |
| Curt Thompson | Democrat | Nay |
| JaNice VanNess | Republican | Nay |
| Name | Party | Vote |
| Ben Watson | Republican | Excused |
House
| Name | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Allison | Republican | Yea |
| Alex Atwood | Republican | Yea |
| Mandi Ballinger | Republican | Yea |
| Timothy Barr | Republican | Yea |
| Paul Battles | Republican | Yea |
| D. C. Belton | Republican | Yea |
| Tommy Benton | Republican | Yea |
| Shaw Blackmon | Republican | Yea |
| Bruce Broadrick | Republican | Yea |
| Buzz Brockway | Republican | Yea |
| Jon Burns | Republican | Yea |
| Michael Caldwell | Republican | Yea |
| Johnnie Caldwell, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| Wesley Cantrell | Republican | Yea |
| John Carson | Republican | Yea |
| Amy Carter | Republican | Yea |
| David Casas | Republican | Yea |
| Joyce Chandler | Republican | Yea |
| Mike Cheokas | Republican | Yea |
| David Clark | Republican | Yea |
| Valerie Clark | Republican | Yea |
| Heath Clark | Republican | Yea |
| Brooks Coleman | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Cooke | Republican | Yea |
| Christian Coomer | Republican | Yea |
| Sharon Cooper | Republican | Yea |
| John Corbett | Republican | Yea |
| John Deffenbaugh | Republican | Yea |
| Katie Dempsey | Republican | Yea |
| Robert Dickey | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Dickson | Republican | Yea |
| Matt Dollar | Republican | Yea |
| Mike Dudgeon | Republican | Yea |
| Emory Dunahoo | Republican | Yea |
| Geoff Duncan | Republican | Yea |
| Chuck Efstration | Republican | Yea |
| Earl Ehrhart | Republican | Yea |
| Terry England | Republican | Yea |
| James Epps | Republican | Yea |
| Barry Fleming | Republican | Yea |
| Dan Gasaway | Republican | Yea |
| Sheri Gilliigan | Republican | Yea |
| Micah Gravley | Republican | Yea |
| Buddy Harden | Republican | Yea |
| Brett Harrell | Republican | Yea |
| Matt Hatchett | Republican | Yea |
| Lee Hawkins | Republican | Yea |
| Bill Hitchens | Republican | Yea |
| Susan Holmes | Republican | Yea |
| Penny Houston | Republican | Yea |
| Rick Jasperse | Republican | Yea |
| Jan Jones | Republican | Yea |
| J. B. Jones | Republican | Yea |
| Trey Kelley | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Kirby | Republican | Yea |
| David Knight | Republican | Yea |
| Dominic Lariccia | Republican | Yea |
| Jodi Lott | Republican | Yea |
| Eddie Lumsden | Republican | Yea |
| Howard Maxwell | Republican | Yea |
| John Meadows | Republican | Yea |
| Greg Morris | Republican | Yea |
| Chad Nimmer | Republican | Yea |
| Randy Nix | Republican | Yea |
| Butch Parrish | Republican | Yea |
| Don Parsons | Republican | Yea |
| Jesse Petrea | Republican | Yea |
| Clay Pirkle | Republican | Yea |
| Alan Powell | Republican | Yea |
| Jay Powell | Republican | Yea |
| Betty Price | Republican | Yea |
| Regina Quick | Republican | Yea |
| Brad Raffensperger | Republican | Yea |
| Paulette Rakestraw | Republican | Yea |
| Matt Ramsey | Republican | Yea |
| Albert Reeves | Republican | Yea |
| Trey Rhodes | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Rice | Republican | Yea |
| Terry Rogers | Republican | Yea |
| Carl Rogers | Republican | Yea |
| Roger Rutledge | Republican | Yea |
| Ed Rynders | Republican | Yea |
| Ed Setzler | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Shaw | Republican | Yea |
| Barbara Sims | Republican | Yea |
| Lynn Smith | Republican | Yea |
| Richard Smith | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Spencer | Republican | Yea |
| Ron Stephens | Republican | Yea |
| David Stover | Republican | Yea |
| Brian Strickland | Republican | Yea |
| Jan Tankersley | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Tanner | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Tarvin | Republican | Yea |
| Darlene Taylor | Republican | Yea |
| Sam Teasley | Republican | Yea |
| Scot Turner | Republican | Yea |
| Sam Watson | Republican | Yea |
| Andrew Welch | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Weldon | Republican | Yea |
| William Werkheiser | Republican | Yea |
| Wendell Willard | Republican | Yea |
| Bruce Williamson | Republican | Yea |
| John Yates | Republican | Yea |
| Name | Party | Vote |
| Stacey Abrams | Democrat | Nay |
| Kimberly Alexander | Democrat | Nay |
| Taylor Bennett | Democrat | Nay |
| Karen Bennett | Democrat | Nay |
| Patty Bentley | Democrat | Nay |
| Beth Beskin | Republican | Nay |
| James Beverly | Democrat | Nay |
| Roger Bruce | Democrat | Nay |
| Debbie Buckner | Democrat | Nay |
| Doreen Carter | Democrat | Nay |
| Dee Dawkins-Haigler | Democrat | Nay |
| Pam Dickerson | Democrat | Nay |
| Demetrius Douglas | Democrat | Nay |
| Karla Drenner | Democrat | Nay |
| Winfred Dukes | Democrat | Nay |
| Darrel Ealum | Democrat | Nay |
| Stacey Evans | Democrat | Nay |
| Hugh Floyd | Democrat | Nay |
| Virgil Fludd | Democrat | Nay |
| Gloria Frazier | Democrat | Nay |
| Spencer Frye | Democrat | Nay |
| Pat Gardner | Democrat | Nay |
| Rich Golick | Republican | Nay |
| J. Craig Gordon | Democrat | Nay |
| Gerald Greene | Republican | Nay |
| Michele Henson | Democrat | Nay |
| Scott Holcomb | Democrat | Nay |
| Carolyn Hugley | Democrat | Nay |
| Sheila Jones | Democrat | Nay |
| LaDawn Jones | Democrat | Nay |
| Darryl Jordan | Democrat | Nay |
| Margaret Kaiser | Democrat | Nay |
| Dar'shun Kendrick | Democrat | Nay |
| Rusty Kidd | Independent | Nay |
| Pedro Marin | Democrat | Nay |
| Charles Martin | Republican | Nay |
| Rahn Mayo | Democrat | Nay |
| Dewey McClain | Democrat | Nay |
| Marie Metze | Democrat | Nay |
| Billy Mitchell | Democrat | Nay |
| Howard Mosby | Democrat | Nay |
| Mary Oliver | Democrat | Nay |
| B.J. Pak | Republican | Nay |
| Allen Peake | Republican | Nay |
| John Pezold | Republican | Nay |
| Brian Prince | Democrat | Nay |
| Nikki Randall | Democrat | Nay |
| Sandra Scott | Democrat | Nay |
| Dexter Sharper | Democrat | Nay |
| Michael Smith | Democrat | Nay |
| Earnest Smith | Democrat | Nay |
| Calvin Smyre | Democrat | Nay |
| Mickey Stephens | Democrat | Nay |
| Pam Stephenson | Democrat | Nay |
| Valencia Stovall | Democrat | Nay |
| Tom Taylor | Republican | Nay |
| Erica Thomas | Democrat | Nay |
| Mable Thomas | Democrat | Nay |
| Robert Trammell | Democrat | Nay |
| Keisha Waites | Democrat | Nay |
| David Wilkerson | Democrat | Nay |
| Joe Wilkinson | Republican | Nay |
| Chuck Williams | Republican | Nay |
| Al Williams | Democrat | Nay |
| Name | Party | Vote |
| Sharon Beasley-Teague | Democrat | Excused |
| Bob Bryant | Democrat | Excused |
| Mike Glanton | Democrat | Excused |
| Dustin Hightower | Republican | Excused |
| Wayne Howard | Democrat | Excused |
| Mack Jackson | Democrat | Excused |
| Ronnie Mabra | Democrat | Excused |
| Tom McCall | Republican | Excused |
| Jimmy Pruett | Republican | Excused |
| Earnest Williams | Democrat | Excused |
