The Bad And The Good

The bad…

BREAKING: AZ Senate Passes 'Right to Discriminate' Bill
Bilerico
Filed By John M. Becker | February 19, 2014

This afternoon, on a party-line 17-13 vote, Republicans in the Arizona Senate bucked the national trend and gave final approval to SB 1062, a GOP-led bill that would create a special "right" to discriminate against LGBT people on the basis of religion.

Under the bill, which was introduced by Republican State Senator Steve Yarbrough, individuals and businesses would be granted the legal right to refuse services to people or groups if they claimed that doing so would "substantially burden" their freedom of religion.
According to the article the language of the bill is so broad that it will not only allow people to discriminate against LGBT people but any protected class such as non-Christians and blacks.

Now for the good…

South Dakota lawmakers toss out 'mean, nasty, hateful, vindictive' bill
Plan would have protected 'religious beliefs on subject of sexual orientation'
Argus Leader
Written by David Montgomery
February 19, 2014

PIERRE — A South Dakota legislative panel Tuesday rejected a measure that would have protected people’s ability to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

After more than an hour of at times pointed testimony, the Senate Judiciary committee voted 5-2 to kill SB128, which Sen. Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City, called “a mean, nasty, hateful, vindictive bill.”

Proposed by Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, the bill would have barred lawsuits against people for “expressing their religious beliefs on the subject of sexual orientation,” as long as they did not incite violence, and ordered the attorney general to defend anyone sued for that reason. It also would have given businesses the right to refuse service on the basis of sexual orientation.

Does anyone know what the state count is now? I believe it is two states voting down the bill and no state yet passing the bills.

Update 4:21PM

Breaking: Maine Rejects ‘Religious Freedom’ License To Discriminate Against Gays
New Civil Rights Movement
by David Badash
February 20, 2014

This afternoon, after several hours of debate, the Maine House rejected the religious license to discriminate legislation, following the same move last week by the Maine Senate. The vote was 89-52. For now, the legislation in the state of Maine is dead.

Moonen’s Democratic colleague, Rep. Andrew J. McLean, told the House that the legislation, LD 1428, “An Act to Protect Religious Freedom” actually denies religious freedom.

Rep. Justin Chenette, who at 22 is the youngest openly-gay legislator in America, talked eloquently and vehemently about how the bill would affect him. “Religious freedom is important, but this bill makes me feel like a second-class citizen… Name me an issue in Maine — I still haven’t heard one.”