Governor Bobby Jindal isn’t accepting defeat whatsoever, over an anti-gay marriage “religious freedom” bill he’s been pushing.
For months Republican Governor Bobby Jindal has been pushing an anti-gay “religious liberty” bill called the Louisiana Marriage And Conscience Act. earlier this afternoon it was defeated by a whopping 10-2 vote by a House committee.
Almost immediately, Gov. Jindal issued a statement in response.
“We are disappointed by the committee’s action to return the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act to the calendar,” Gov. Jindal told The Advocate, a local Louisiana newspaper. “We will be issuing an Executive Order shortly that will accomplish the intent of HB 707 to prevent the state from discriminating against persons or entities with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman.”Â
“This Executive Order will prohibit the state from denying or revoking a tax exemption, tax deduction, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, professional license, certification, accreditation, or employment on the basis the person acts in accordance with a religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman.”
HB 707 was designed to discriminate against same-sex couples specifically, and LGBT people in general.
A website created by the bill’s author to advance the legislation, Louisiana for Liberty, details why the bill was created: to indemnify “charities, schools and small businesses,” who, the site claims, “are already being fined and punished for not endorsing same-sex marriage.”
Ironically, Governor Jindal, who will likely soon announce he is running for President, has been especially outspoken against President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration.
Calling the executive order “an arrogant, cynical political move,” Gov. Jindal said President Obama “should go make the case to Congress and our people.”
Â
Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license
Â