Nathan Deal makes a forceful, biblical case against Georgia’s ‘religious liberty’ bill (Atlanta: public schools, gated)

[arjay57]

Whatever happened to people simply practicing their religion on their own instead of trying to ram it down everybody else's throat?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

I still think the governor will veto this bill. The film credits are Deal's baby and he doesn't want to see the state lose the film industry. Also while these social conservatives are threatening to bring this issue back next year, I believe the leadership in the house and possibly the senate won't have the tolerance for this issue next year. House Speaker Ralston was no fan of the issue to begin with. Also the state's business community will really step up their efforts to get other people to run against these people if they continue to bring it up. Atlanta's business community is tired of the state's rural legislators making Georgia look bad and will begin to withdraw support from the republicans if they continue to push these issues. While Georgia is still a socially conservative state that is changing. Nearly 60% of the state's population lives in Metro Atlanta which is socially moderate/liberal depending on where you live in Metro Atlanta. Most folks here just don't care about this issue and just want it to go away. Also while Deal has normally been hands off with the general assembly I expect him to become more involved in 2017 and even 2018. He's not running for any more offices and thus has nothing to lose. He wants to hold and preserve his legacy and doesn't want to see it ruined by these yahoos like Kirk and McKoon. I expect we will see a lot more vetos in the 2017 general assembly session.

I do agree that the governor is probably very likely (but not necessarily completely guaranteed) to veto this bill that looks to threaten the legacy that he has built for the state in business and film.

But with the Georgia Senate generally being the more ideologically conservative of the two houses of the legislature (it was the Georgia Senate that started this controversy in earnest when it added the very-controversial FADA to the House's less-controversial PPA) and with Lt. Governor Cagle looking to prove his hard-line conservative bonafides in advance of a likely run for governor through a crowded 2018 GOP primary that will be dominated by a field and an audience of conservative hard-liners, I would not at all be surprised if this issue rears its ugly head yet again next year.

[Airforceguy]

Sen. Johnny Isakson didn’t outright call on Gov. Nathan Deal to veto the controversial “religious liberty” legislation waiting on his desk. But the two-term Georgia Republican left little to the imagination in remarks Monday criticizing the measure.

“I’ve said at the beginning of the session that I think it’s a national issue. It ought to be a seamless policy. Any time you have state-by-state policies, you run the risk of having conflicts,” he said of House Bill 757. “I think it’s better to begin at the federal level. The Constitution guarantees religious liberty under the First Amendment, so anything that passes to carry that out ought to be a federal statute and not a state statute.”

A revamped version of the measure swept through the state Legislature last week after more than three years of debate. Supporters say the patchwork of local standards compelled them to push the legislation, and that it offers needed protections for faith-based organizations to object to same-sex marriages on religious grounds.

But critics say it would legalize discrimination against gays and warn of growing corporate outrage similar to the blowback against a similar bill in Indiana.

Deal, who has until May 3 to sign or veto the measure, hasn’t tipped his hand. But he said earlier this month that he would reject any measure that amounted to discrimination, and he made a forceful and biblical case against a previous version of the bill.

Isakson, who is among the sponsors of a federal version of the First Amendment Defense Act, on Monday said Georgia would be “far better off” leaving the debate to the U.S. Congress.

“It’s a federal issue. The First Amendment guarantees that government will not establish religion, so the federal government ought to be the one that establishes the laws under that amendment, rather than having 50 different standards in 50 different states,” he said.

Johnny Isakson: Georgia should leave

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Here's an excellent article from Charlie Harper discussing the "religious liberty" bill and the future of the republican party in the state if they keep pushing these issues..

The Politics Of Religious Freedom | GeorgiaPol

Thanks for the link!

[First24]

The circus going on around this "religious liberty" bill is disturbing. I certainly hope none of our dear state legislators think these companies and 'Hollywood' are bluffing about pulling business away from Georgia. Either way, Georgia's more progressive cities like Savannah, Atlanta and Augusta (emerging), will receive a black eye from this.

Off topic, but a situation like this only makes me respect early Civil Rights pioneers even more. The belligerence still displayed towards civil freedoms by certain factions within the state and state government is astonishing.

[J2rescue]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Whatever happened to people simply practicing their religion on their own instead of trying to ram it down everybody else's throat?

So it sounds as though you support this bill.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by J2rescue

So it sounds as though you support this bill.

Chill man. It really sounds like he wants the churches and religious peeps to keep their bigotry to themselves instead of trying to make it law.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by J2rescue

So it sounds as though you support this bill.

No, just the opposite. No preacher has ever been forced to marry people he didn't want to. This is plain tomfoolery.

[chuckshere]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Also the state's business community will really step up their efforts to get other people to run against these people if they continue to bring it up. Atlanta's business community is tired of the state's rural legislators making Georgia look bad and will begin to withdraw support from the republicans if they continue to push these issues. While Georgia is still a socially conservative state that is changing. Nearly 60% of the state's population lives in Metro Atlanta which is socially moderate/liberal depending on where you live in Metro Atlanta.

Companies like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Pinewood Studios are very image oriented and have put an investment into moving to Georgia. I can't believe they (and a whole lot more than I could possibly name here) are going to just sit back and let these rubes dictate this. I look to see much more political turnover in the years ahead. I think a lot of Republicans are business oriented and will lose patience with the fallout from these kinds of theatrics that will make the Republicans look like the party that's anti-business. I know I'm certainly going to pay more attention to who's running for office.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Chill man. It really sounds like he wants the churches and religious peeps to keep their bigotry to themselves instead of trying to make it law.

Absolutely concur with this.