A bill that makes clear no religious leader can be forced to perform a same-sex wedding gets its first hearing by a House panel on Thursday.

House Bill 757, the so-called Pastor Protection Act, will be before a House Judiciary subcommittee at 3 p.m. Thursday in room 132 of the state Capitol.

Proposed by Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, the bill is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville. Ralston has indicated it is the one of several pending bills dealing with religious liberty that he will support.

Read our breakdown of all the related bills and what they would do here.

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is the latest Georgia politician to challenge the state's campaign finance laws. He says the laws give rival Lt. Gov. Burt Jones an illegal advantage as they campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. (Jason Getz/AJC).

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

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