Breaking: Sally Kern Withdraws Anti-Gay ‘License To Discriminate’ Bill

Oklahoma GOP lawmaker Sally Kern has withdrawn her controversial “license to discriminate” bill – but there are many others in queue.

 

Sally Kern has withdrawn her controversial and likely unconstitutional bill that would effectively have provided Oklahoma businesses and practitioners a license to discriminate against gay people. The bill, HB1597, had been labeled “unprecedented” and “hate-filled” by LGBT activists and allies. She still has two more anti-gay bills awaiting consideration, and there have been at least seven other anti-gay bills introduced this month.

WATCH: ‘I Don’t Hate Anybody’: Rep. Sally Kern Defends Her Three Latest Anti-Gay Bills (Video)

“After further consideration, I have decided to withdraw House Bill 1597, known as ‘The Business Protection Act.’ The bill as introduced did not accomplish my desired purpose,” Kern said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.

“Across the country, business owners are being sued by individuals who are asking the owner to perform a service or provide a product that is contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs,” she claimed. “When these business owners have refused because of conscience, they were then sued having to face legal battles that resulted in their losing their business and even facing jail.”

No business owner has ever faced jail for refusing an LGBT person “to perform a service or provide a product that is contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs.

“I wanted a tort bill that limited damages between the business owner and the customer ensuring that the business owner would not lose their livelihood,” Kern, a 68-year old Baptist, claimed, despite the fact that no business owner has “lost their livelihood” for refusing service to an LGBT person. 

“I will support the efforts of my colleagues who have introduced bills that do what I intended,” Kern continued, knowing there are still seven other anti-gay bills introduced, including two more of hers. “I will work with the governor, the speaker of the House and Senate pro tempore to protect the business interests of our state so that all our citizens who take the risk of opening a business can prosper and thrive.”

Kern, who has said gay people are more dangerous than terrorists, was elected by Oklahoma citizens, not businesses, and in fact ran against a small business owner in 2012. In 2014 she ran unopposed.

 

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