Equality Federation condemns Missouri action as bill faces second Senate vote

Jefferson City, Mo. — The Missouri Senate could vote Thursday on whether to send the House a proposal creating religious protections for those objecting to gay marriage, according to the Associated Press.

The Republican-led Senate gave initial approval early Wednesday to the proposed constitutional amendment after halting a Democratic filibuster that lasted 39 hours.

The Equality Federation, one of the leading LGBTQ rights advocacy groups in the US, praised the eight Democrats who waged the filibuster, saying, “Equality Federation extends our deepest gratitude to the eight courageous Senators in Missouri who filibustered for a historic 39 hours to prevent a discriminatory religious exemption bill from moving forward in the legislature. SJ39 is a dangerous bill that would ask the voters of Missouri to amend their constitution to allow religious organizations and individuals to use their faith to legally justify refusing services and benefits to LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, the Senate forced a vote, and the bill passed in a 23-9 vote.

“’The eight Senators who filibustered for hours on end are champions of fairness and freedom,’ said Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation. ‘They have inspired people and businesses all across the country to stand up against the tidal wave of attacks against LGBTQ people and our families. Freedom of religion is important to all of us, and it is already strongly protected. We call on House Speaker Todd Richardson to do the right thing and stop this dangerous bill from moving forward any further.’”  

The measure would prohibit government penalties against those who cite religious beliefs while declining to provide wedding-related services to same-sex couples, said the AP story on Senate Joint Resolution 39. The religious protections would apply to clergy, religious organizations and some businesses such as florists and photographers.

Opponents of the resolution, which would send a constitutional amendment to voters in the fall, raised the specter of business reaction similar to that last year in Indiana and Arkansas when similar measures were passed in their legislatures.

The Equality Federation’s statement said, “In addition to enshrining discrimination into law, these types of bills have caused serious economic impact in other states. Indiana lost over $60 million in business revenue after passing a discriminatory religious exemption bill. Many companies, big and small, have already spoken out against SJR 39 including two of Missouri’s largest employers, Dow Chemical and Monsanto. Equality Federation calls upon the Missouri’s lawmakers to consider the range of negative impacts this legislation could have on the state.”

Another Senate vote is needed to send the measure to the House. Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard says that is likely to occur Thursday.

If passed by both chambers, the measure would appear on the ballot during either the August primary or November general election.

Steph Perkins, Executive Director of Equality Federation member PROMO Missouri said, "We are beyond disappointed that the Senate has voted to pass SJR 39. We agree that religion is a fundamental right, which is why it is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and our existing Human Rights Act. But those same religious beliefs cannot and should not be used as a reason to deny someone the same services that are offered to the rest of the public. And that is exactly what SJR 39 would do.”

Read the bill here: http://www.senate.mo.gov/16info/pdf-bill/intro/SJR39.pdf

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The Gayly – March 10, 2016 @ 8:20 a.m.