In the States: Religious Freedom vs GLBT Civil Rights

One of the big news items this week regards Indiana's passage of a "religious freedom restoration act" and the backlash against it. Such laws raise the standard that a law has to clear in order to burden a person's exercise of religious belief - but its application has been a bit loose recently and it has been used to justify discrimination against people based on sexual orientation.

Makes for a good topic for a written assignment. Here are a few posts for 2306 students to consider as they think about it:

- Wikipedia: Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
- Wikipedia: State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts.
- Indiana's religious freedom law: What you need to know.
- Indiana governor proud of state’s ‘religious freedom’ law, which has been criticized as anti-gay.
- What is the Religious Freedom Act?
- NCSL: 2015 State Religious Freedom Restoration Legislation.
- DEVELOPMENT OF STATE RFRA STATUTES.

The National Conference of State Legislatures highlights three bills making their ways through the Texas Legislature:

HJR 55 - Proposes a constitutional amendment relating to the free exercise of religion; provides that the state, a county, municipality, political subdivision or agency may not burden a person's free exercise of religion unless necessary to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means; provides that a homeowners' association may not burden a person's free exercise of religion unless necessary to further a compelling quasi-governmental interest of the homeowners' association.

HJR 125 - Proposes a constitutional amendment relating to a person's free exercise of religion.

SJR 10 - Proposes a constitutional amendment relating to a person's free exercise of religion.