Eugene Delgaudio Asks For "Christian Protection Act" Bill Introduced to Protect Arlene's Flowers/Religious Freedom
In a response to the legal harassment dealt out to a florist in Washington state, a member of the state legislature has put forth a bill aimed at protecting conscientious objectors.
Eugene Delgaudio president of Public Advocate says "While this does seem to be a step in the right direction, what does it say about the United States of America when declining business on religious grounds is considered a crime without special legislation? All the same, we here at Public Advocate applaud the attempt to protect religious freedom in Washington state. Maybe this is the start of legislation to protect us ALL from Homosexual assaults."
FPIW reports "Earlier this month, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against a Richland, Washington florist who declined the chance to provide floral arrangements for the same-sex wedding ceremony of long-time customers. Yesterday, Sen. Sharon Brown, whose district includes Arlene's Flowers, introduced legislation (SB 5927) that would protect Arlene's Flowers religious liberty and provide protection from liability for declining to provide services in situation like this."
The bill amends the state's non-discrimination statute and states that it cannot force someone to provide services, if doing so would violate their conscience or strongly held religious convictions. While this would apply to wedding ceremonies, including polygamous and/or same-sex wedding ceremonies, it would also apply generally to works of art, conventions, conferences, parties, or published messages like artwork, literature, or website design that could include a message that a business or individual would not be comfortable lending their services to.
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