Missouri Lawmakers Delay Vote on Constitutional Amendment to Allow Gay Couples to Be Denied Service

Bill Lets Voters Decide if They Want Discrimination Written Into Their State Constitution

A Missouri House Committee Wednesday night delayed a vote on a bill that would “protect” people of faith, and businesses, that claim to have “sincere religious beliefs” against marriage equality from having to serve or do business with same-sex couples. Last month, Democrats in the Senate made national headlines for filibustering the legislation for over 39 hours, until their Republican colleagues implemented a procedural tactic to break the filibuster, and literally cut the microphone of a speaking Democrat.

The bill, SJR39, is even more extreme than most of the other 200 or so so-called “religious freedom” bills and laws that have passed this year across the nation’s legislature. If it passes the House, it will bypass the governor and become a ballot initiative in November. Voters would then decide if they want discrimination against LGBT people written into their state constitution.

The bill itself repeats protections already in the First Amendment, like ensuring pastors and other clerics would not have to marry same-sex couples if they do not wish to, but it goes much further. It allows religious institutions – which it defines as houses of worship, like churches and synagogues, and religious schools and universities, and adoption agencies and homeless shelters – to deny service to same-sex couples. 

It allows people of faith who “provide goods or services of expressional or artistic creation, such as a photographer or florist,” to refuse to do business with same-sex couples “because of a sincere religious belief concerning marriage between two persons of the same sex.”

And, as in the Hobby Lobby case, it expands the definition of a person to include a “closely held commercial entity,” which could include a small business or a huge corporation, like Hobby Lobby, or Chick-fil-A.

The bill’s chief sponsor is GOP State Sen. Bob Onder. A vote is expected next Monday.

Michael Sam was on hand Wednesday to support opponents of the legislation:

 

EARLIER:

Breaking: Missouri GOP Senators Break Democrats’ 39 Hour Filibuster, Pass Anti-Gay Bill

Right Now Missouri Democratic Senators Have Been Filibustering An Anti-Gay Bill For Over 15 Hours

Anti-Gay Constitutional Amendment Introduced in Missouri Senate

 

Image via Wikimedia