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
House
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