(Gov.) Beshear vetoes Kentucky religious freedom bill

[Newsjock]

Source: Lexington Herald-Leader

Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed a controversial religious-freedom bill Friday afternoon, saying the measure was well intended but would spark costly taxpayer-funded court cases and bring an array of unintended consequences.

"I have significant concerns that this bill will cause serious unintentional consequences that could threaten public safety, health care and individuals' civil rights," Beshear said in a statement. "As written, the bill will undoubtedly lead to costly litigation."

House Bill 279 would allow someone with "sincerely held" religious beliefs to disregard state laws "unless the government proves by clear and convincing evidence that it has a compelling governmental interest in infringing" the person's religious freedom. Gay rights and human rights groups have said the bill could be used to challenge local anti-discrimination laws that protect gays and lesbians in Lexington, Louisville, Covington and Vicco.

The sponsor of House Bill 279, Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, said he thinks he'll have the 51 votes required to override the veto if House leaders decide to take a vote. Damron said Beshear, a Democrat, did not ask him or Democratic House leaders to refrain from trying to override the bill during a conversation of more than an hour Friday in the governor's Capitol office.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/03/22/2569508/beshear-will-veto-religious-freedom.html

[MotherPetrie]

1. "Sincerely held" beliefs, my ASS

[ZRT2209]

2. your "religious freedom" is not a free pass to violate my rights

[alp227]

4. Even worse a DEMOCRAT sponsored this bill.

So I guess that is why I saw this story earlier suggesting that KY Dems don't want Ashley Judd to run for the US Senate?

Furthermore, Beshear (also allegedly a Democrat) 2.5 years ago gave away state taxpayer money to acreationist theme park.

[madville]

14. There is a ton of nuttery in that state's politics

I think she would be a good voice in federal politics, using Kentucky as a spring board may not be possible though especially with her previous campaign and fundraising support for President Obama, he's not popular there at all, only got 39% in the 2012 election while Romney got 57%.

[mwb970]

13. Is there a difference between these people and the Taliban, aside from which religion they defile?

Because I'm not seeing it.

[reACTIONary]

15. Major difference. The Taliban...

...don't pretend to support religious freedom or any sort of freedom at all. These people are hypocrites by comparison.

[LonePirate]

3. WTF? Ds hold the KY House 59-41 and this bill only received 7 "No" votes

Sounds like the KY House had 93 Rs and 7 Ds.

[Generation_Why]

9. Most Democrats here in KY are registered that way because of tradition only.

Started when Lincoln pissed off Kentuckians by making them pay fees for the Reconstruction.

They registered as Democrat out of protest, but continue to vote Republican.

Continues to this day.

[neoclown]

5. I think it's a great idea

0% loans for all. God says so.

Exodus 22:25 ESV

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

Leviticus 25:37 ESV

You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

[uselessobot]

11. This scares the crap out of the banksters too

caught a discussion on this the other day I think it was Hal Sparks talking about how Islamic and some Hebrew Banks don't not charge interest on a business loan but take a percentage of the profit instead. Islamic Banks are looking to open shop in America and it will disrupt the American way of lending money and the PTB in America do not like it.

Most business take a few years to really make a profit and paying your monthly nut to the banksters can send a new business into bankruptcy rather quickly. If a business was given time to get going and you did not have to pay back the loan until you make a profit it would cause small business to flourish in America, something the PTB do not want.

[A Little Weird]

6. It might get overturned

I'm surprised (but pleased!) that Beshear vetoed the bill. I think he got too much negative feedback on it to ignore (he posted a 59 page pdf of letters from various concerned organizations). But there is already talk by representative Damron (D) of overturning his veto. There's a good chance they will be able to do it.

Sadly, most of the democrats in office in Kentucky would be indistinguishable from republicans in other places - there are very few true progressive voices here. Most of the republicans here are just f'ing crazy.

[Generation_Why]

10. Yeah, party labels mean nothing here. nt

[RiverNoord]

7. Wow - where do the adults hang out

in Kentucky? Obviously not in the legislature. This is genuinely the most F'd up concept of a law that actually passed an American legislative body that I've encountered during my lifetime. Seriously? How on earth could you possibly judicially determine whether a religious belief is 'sincerely held?' And - oh, screw it, what's the point?

[Turbineguy]

8. "..costly taxpayer-funded court cases and bring an array of unintended consequences.."

No problem. Just give everybody a tax cut.

[mwb970]

12. So laws don't apply to religious people.

I've always suspected that they believe this, but this is the first time I've heard of an attempt to make the idea that religious people are above the law into a law.

[hrmjustin]

16. This bill is just completely wrong!

I hope the veto is upheld somehow. Democrats in the legislature need to start acting like democrats.

[jmowreader]

17. This could be entertaining...

Declare you are a member of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church and that your sincerely held religious beliefs require you to smoke ganga at least three times a day, so you are disregarding the state laws against the possession and use of cannabis.

If that shit flies, watch one of two things happen:

Thing 1: There will be a fistfight in the bowels of the Kentucky Legislature building to see who gets to be primary sponsor of the bill repealing House Bill 279.

or...

Thing 2: Ethiopian Zion Copticism will become the most popular religion in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by this time tomorrow.

[RainDog]

18. LOL

You know what's really funny? Those religious people in America who think their religion tells them to hate and discriminate against others - and then think the govt should sanction this.

What a bunch of assholes.

[maxrandb]

19. and my bodily fluids are sacred

I'll have no more of these random pee-tests.