Ohio just withdrew its 'religious freedom' bill in response to Brewer's veto

[kpete]

Religious freedom bill pulled by sponsors
By Jim Siegel and Alan Johnson
Wednesday February 26, 2014 5:55 PM


The proposed “Ohio Religious Freedom Restoration Act” has been derailed by its sponsors because of concerns that it may discriminate against gay Ohioans.

“We never started out with some idea of giving people the right to discriminate. That doesn’t work in this country,” said Rep. Bill Patmon, a Cleveland Democrat who jointly sponsoring the bill with Rep. Tim Derickson, R-Oxford. “If anybody knows me and knows my record, they know I’ve fought discrimination.”

Shortly after Patmon and Derickson announced they wanted the bill withdrawn, Rep. Jim Butler, R-Oakwood, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said that “no future consideration will be given to H.B. 376.”


“We need to kill this bill,” Ian James, the group’s executive director, said of House Bill 376. “It's dangerous and eerily similar to the Arizona legislation.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/02/26/religious-freedom-bill.html



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State lawmakers in Ohio are withdrawing legislation that mirrors an Arizona "religious freedom" bill that has come under fire for protecting those who assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays.

Republican state Rep. Tim Derickson and Democratic state Rep. Bill Patmon issued a joint statement Wednesday citing concern over the bill's unintended consequences.

The pair said the bill they introduced in December was intended to protect the ability of Ohioans to freely worship and exercise their religious beliefs, not to promote discrimination.

http://www.wtrf.com/story/24831883/ohio-lawmakers-pull-religious-freedom-bill

[leftyohiolib]

1. well look at that, my state does something right

[mtnester]

2. I live here too, and do not trust that mess of the leg to do anything even remotely right

if they thought they could quietly get this through they would do it in a heartbeat, or bury it in a bill and whoopsie, it is now law

[leftyohiolib]

5. they still might once the heat dies down

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Is wearing crosses or yamaka prohibited in some workplaces in Ohio?

Somehow I doubt it.

As for prayer in public schools ... Jesus TOLD you guys to keep it in the closet.

[alphafemale]

15. No one is going to stop a child from praying in school.

Or even a roup of kids praying together.

A teacher or other adult just can't compel a child to pray.

[LiberalAndProud]

17. Understood. And that is as it should be.

My comment was reaction to Derickson's "encroachment" remark in the article.

Derickson said at the time that the bill is “a preventive attempt” to block further encroachment on expression of religious freedom. He cited examples such as prohibition of prayer in schools and public places, zoning issues for churches, and public expression of religious faith, such as wearing crosses and displaying Nativity scenes.

[center]the hypocrites love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men[/center]

[William769]

4. Their hatred is showing and even though many of them don't care about that

Thy do have to keep up some semblance of appearance.

Waiting to see what their next move is.

[DirkGently]

6. +++ Chris Hayes is all over this right now.

[ReRe]

7. What we have here are...

... red-state discriminative laws falling like dominoes.

[Mr.Bill]

8. "Unintended Consequences" my ass.

A whole lot of politicians got a wakeup call and got exposed today.

[CrispyQ]

20. Yep. They wanted to legalize their bigotry until they discovered it might cost them money.

Oops, kinda sounds like Mammon is their true God.

[Lifelong Protester]

9. Good!

Bigotry should find no safe haven.

[efhmc]

10. Yeah right.

"The pair said the bill they introduced in December was intended to protect the ability of Ohioans to freely worship and exercise their religious beliefs, not to promote discrimination."

[geomon666]

11. If you can hear a loud beeping sound coming from every direction...

Don't panic, it's just the Tealiban truck backing way the fuck off. Word came down from Corporate Headquarters, this affects our bottom line, back it up.

[llmart]

12. And isn't that what it REALLY comes down to?

It has nothing to do with doing the right thing. When the businesses started to oppose it for financial reasons, then whoa, can't have that.

[hatrack]

16. "If these were people without money, then we wouldn't give a fuck."

But since they're lots of gay professionals, and friends and family, many of whom have discretionary income, know social media and how to organize, and are really pissed off, we suddenly rediscovered our "principles".

[AllyCat]

19. Yup. These teahadists did not just suddenly find morals or compassion nt

[calimary]

13. I don't buy the "we never started to with some idea of giving people the right to discriminate…"

crap for a nanosecond.

Not for a nanosecond.

In THIS day and age??????? NO ONE will EVER be able to convince me that they weren't trying to get around something so that religious excuses could be used for cover - to allow for DISCRIMINATION. PERIOD. When you say your religion allows you to turn a customer away, or not serve somebody, that is nothing BUT discrimination. PERIOD.

And if, by the barest chance that some idiots back there did think it was mere "religious freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom" (or as we say around our house, "freedom-freedom&quot , they need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. That legislation has consequences. And you have to be DAMN CAREFUL next time you try playing with "religious freedom" and claiming authority to shove it down others' throats.

[hatrack]

14. And they were SOOOOOOOO concerned they waited for Gov. Weaknugly's veto!

Good thing nobody was forcing anything "down their throats" or "bending them over" or anything like that, huh?

[Hekate]

18. Every time and every place this bill comes back (and it will) liberals need to make a stink

These bigots need a combination of sunshine (best disinfectant) and having their noses rubbed in their mess.

Keep up the good work, Dems and Liberals!

[tanyev]

21. Of course it's eerily similar to the Arizona legislation.

Probably written by a right-wing think tank and emailed to Rethugs in all 50 states. [Insert your state name here]

[merrily]

22. Why did a Democrat co-sponsor this in the first place?