In Kansas, Right Joins Left to Halt Bill on Gays
Source: New York Times
By JOHN ELIGON FEB. 16, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. A bill that would have allowed individuals to refuse to provide business services to same-sex couples in Kansas because of religious beliefs met a surprising and quick end last week when conservative senators sided with liberal advocates in saying that the measure promoted discrimination.
The bill had passed the House, 72 to 49, last Wednesday and it appeared that it might also easily sail through the Senate. Both chambers are controlled by conservative Republicans who in recent years have passed some of the most conservative legislation in the country, whether on gun control, abortion rights or taxes.
Susan Wagle, a conservative Republican who is president of the Kansas Senate, raised opposition to the House measure, saying she had grown concerned about the practical impact of the bill and my members dont condone discrimination.
Ms. Wagle was backed by Senator Jeff King, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who said he would not hold hearings on the House bill. Instead, Mr. King said, his committee would hold hearings on the broader topic of religious freedom in Kansas and explore whether the Legislature needed to take any further steps to shore up those protections.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/us/politics/in-kansas-right-joins-left-to-halt-bill-on-gays.html?_r=0
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)will come back with a scrubbed version of the bill to accomplish similar but not so blatently discriminatory.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)cosmicone
(11,014 posts)MuseRider
(34,115 posts)I can't remember how many times we have fought this.
Every year they either don't get out of committee or it gets passed with all the discrimination scrubbed out of it.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR we have to deal with RFRA bills.
Still the first thing out of the house is this with tons and tons of discriminatory rhetoric. They never learn. The authors change names but the bills are essentially written by a couple of them and one of the very worst is a Democrat.
The stuff going through our legislature has taken a huge turn from crazy to painfully painfully off the charts bizarre.
Discrimination sure riled up the people, thank god for activism and upset citizens.
I don't know if Susan Wagle actually was going to put this through or not. Loud outcry and objection by the Chamber of Commerce was enough to make certain it did not sail through as is.
The House is trying to revive it but I am not terribly worried yet.
alp227
(32,047 posts)If so the Republicans know this bill would cost them votes.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)but instead of studying religious freedoms, how about looking into government free of religion?
12ZTR
(92 posts)Republican businesses,nationwide.
If you get in their wallet,you've got their attention.
dickthegrouch
(3,183 posts)Many of your members condone discrimination, they just don't want to do so quite so publicly and undeniably.