Latest news with #EdSetzler
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia governor signs ‘religious freedom' bill, vowing the state still is ‘no place for hate'
Sen. Ed Setzler pitches his RFRA bill at an April 1 press conference. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp kicked off the final day of the 2025 legislative session by signing Senate Bill 36, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), into law, appeasing some Georgian residents who have been calling for stronger protections under state law for free exercise of religion. The bill mirrors federal legislation that has been in place since 1993, and imposes new restrictions on state and local governments' ability to 'substantially burden a person's exercise of religion' unless it is 'in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest.' It gained final passage out of the House on April 2 in a 96-70 vote that fell largely along party lines. Democrats in particular have opposed the bill, arguing that without statewide civil rights protections, a RFRA law would allow Georgians greater leeway to discriminate against LGBTQ people and religious minorities. Establishing new religious protections under state law has been a goal of the Georgia GOP since shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015. The bill's sponsor, Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler, first introduced the legislation nearly a decade ago during the 2016 legislative session. The same year, a similar religious freedom bill passed out of the Georgia Legislature, but was ultimately vetoed by then-Governor Nathan Deal, who said he wanted to keep Georgia 'a welcoming state.' Prior to Deal's veto, some of Georgia's largest employers, including Coca Cola and Delta Air Lines, warned that the RFRA bill that the Legislature passed would create a law that made recruiting essential workers more difficult. In a speech immediately after signing the bill, Kemp downplayed concerns that the bill could increase discrimination, drawing parallels between RFRA and legislation from previous sessions aimed at combating hate crimes in the wake of Ahmaud Arbery's murder and heightening statewide protections against antisemitism. 'Today I signed SB 36, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, ensuring that once again at the state level, that Georgians are protected, including Georgians of faith,' he said. 'I wanted to let everybody know that despite signing that legislation, Georgia still remains a state that has no place for hate, and I can assure all Georgians of that today.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Kemp signs religious freedom bill into law
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed the religious freedom bill that advocates said was needed to protect people of faith but critics said could be used to discriminate. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Acworth Republican state Sen. Ed Setzler, who sponsored the bill, insisted it was necessary to protect people of faith from what he called unwarranted government intrusion. Kemp previously said in a statement that he would sign the version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, that passed the House on Wednesday. 'I have always maintained that I would support and sign a version of RFRA which mirrors the language and protections provided by federal law since 1993,' he wrote on X. 'My commitment to that promise and to the deeply held beliefs of Georgians of faith remains unwavering. I also want to assure those of differing views that Georgia remains a welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family. The bill was opposed by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and similar to one that was vetoed in 2016 amid concerns from Georgia businesses that it would hurt tourism and the ability to attract workers to the state. House Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley has said she believes the bill will hurt businesses and people. 'If Georgia wants to remain the No. 1 state to do business, why would you do this? Because it's simply a license to discriminate, and our caucus is going fight vigorously against it,' Hughley said. RELATED STORY: Georgia House passes religious freedom bill with 2 days left in legislative season [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Long-stalled ‘religious freedom' legislation gets Georgia GOP blessing
Sen. Ed Setzler holds a RFRA rally the day before his bill passed the House. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder On the penultimate day of the 2025 legislative session, some religious Georgians had their prayers answered. A so-called religious freedom bill is on Gov. Brian Kemp's desk after the House approved it 96-70 along mostly party lines late Wednesday night. A Georgia religious freedom restoration act, or RFRA bill, has been a goal of the Georgia GOP since shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015. Senate Bill 36 by Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler places restrictions on state and local governments' ability to 'substantially burden a person's exercise of religion' unless it is 'in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest' and even then only if they use the 'least restrictive means of furthering such compelling governmental interest.' Cedartown Republican Rep. Trey Kelley said that means religious Georgians will have their rights protected from state and local governments the same way they are protected from the federal government under the First Amendment. A federal version passed in 1993. 'What this measure simply looks to do is codify the same balancing test for our exercise of religious freedom that the other four First Amendment rights have,' he said. 'This should be something that we can agree to. We got a lot we can fight about. This should be something we can agree to.' Democrats largely disagreed. Opponents like Duluth Democratic Rep. Ruwa Romman say the bill would amount to a license to discriminate against those religious minorities and LGBTQ Georgians. 'I think a lot about what if a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf is in a workplace and her boss decides to fire her because it offends his faith?' said Romman, who is Muslim. 'What if, for example, somebody is praying, takes five minutes to pray during the day, and their boss says, 'you know what, you don't believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and I'm going to fire you. It is my business, I should be able to do that.' And to some extent, there are already allowances for that to begin with. To me, the negatives far outweigh any potential benefits' Democrats attempted to add an amendment to the effect that the law could not be used to discriminate but Republicans rejected it. The state's only currently-serving Jewish lawmaker, Sandy Springs Democratic Rep. Esther Panitch, said the law could allow discrimination against Jews if it came from a sincere religious belief. Panitch said determining the motivation of antisemitic acts would mean more work for courts. 'Each case will require an extensive analysis of whether antisemitic expression is truly motivated by sincere religious beliefs,' she said. 'The result is that secular antisemitism faces consequences while religiously motivated antisemitism receives protections.' Both Romman and Panitch predicted RFRA could mean religious carveouts to the state's abortion law. Panitch said Jews believe life begins at birth rather than at conception as state law says, and Romman said Islam prioritizes saving the life of a mother and the RFRA bill would make it impossible to live out that mandate. Avondale Estates Democratic Rep. Karla Drenner, who became the Legislature's first openly-LGBTQ member when she took office in 2001, read from the speech she read opposing a RFRA bill in 2016. 'I must note that the irony of debating the bill that licenses prejudice against my community in the city too busy to hate is not lost on me,' she said. 'I oppose – back then it was House Bill 757, today it's Senate Bill 36 – I oppose it for any number of reasons. It says that my rights under the constitution, under the law and under God are not inalienable but rather are subject to the opinions of others.' In a surprise move, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed that year's RFRA bill. Drenner also took a swipe at a slate of red meat bills she suggested were signs of weakness in the GOP. 'This year, we have let the other chamber that's running for governor run our chamber over here, from my perspective,' she said. 'We've done all these terrible bills, from my perspective.' Republican representatives took the opposite view. 'I got a little frustrated over there when I was listening, this is dealing with government burdening the free exercise of religion in this state,' said Bremen Republican Rep. Tyler Paul Smith. 'This is not a license for a private citizen to use this against another private citizen.' Dawsonville Republican Rep. Will Wade said the measure will reaffirm Georgians' bedrock religious freedoms. 'Senate Bill 36 simply gives people of all faiths, all faiths, their day in court if they believe the government has overreached,' he said. 'Over half of the states – we've heard it today, 39 now, we can be the 40th – It is time that Georgia provide the same safeguards that 39 other states in our country have for their citizens. We are a state very rich in diversity, I think that's what makes it better.' Kemp has 40 days from Friday to sign, and has indicated he will do so. 'I want to congratulate those who worked for the passage of SB 36,' he said in a statement. 'I have always maintained that I would support and sign a version of RFRA which mirrors the language and protections provided by federal law since 1993. My commitment to that promise and to the deeply held beliefs of Georgians of faith remains unwavering. I also want to assure those of differing views that Georgia remains a welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia House passes religious freedom bill with 2 days left in legislative season
The Georgia House has passed the latest encantation of the religious freedom bill. Some Republicans insist the bill is needed to protect people of faith, while Democrats say it only gives people a license to discriminate. Supporters of the new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, gathered at the capitol Tuesday for a news conference to put pressure on lawmakers to bring their bill to the floor of the house for a vote. Acworth Republican state Sen. Ed Setzler, who wrote the bill, insists this bill is necessary to protect people of faith from, what he says is, unwarranted government intrusion. He thinks he has the votes to get it across the finish line. 'I think there are people in both parties that would like to support this,' Setzler said. RELATED STORIES: Committee passes revitalized religious freedom bill, now goes to full House for a vote Republican lawmakers put pressure on House to pass religious freedom bill before Sine Die GA lawmakers want to make sure religious liberty bill won't be used to discriminate against others Crossover Day 2025: Which bills advanced, which ones failed in Georgia House, Senate House Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley believes the bill will hurt businesses and people. 'If Georgia wants to remain the No. 1 state to do business, why would you do this? Because it's simply a license to discriminate, and our caucus is going fight vigorously against it,' Hughley said. The bill passed the Senate last week and now heads to the governor's desk. In a post on X, Kemp said he has also maintained he would sign a version of RFRA. 'My commitment to that promise and to the deeply held beliefs of Georgians of faith remains unwavering. I also want to assure those of differing views that Georgia remains a welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family,' Kemp said. Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, said RFRA is 'intended to further divide our communities and cause harm to vulnerable Georgians.' 'As hard as these legislative defeats are, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into a state of despair that keeps us from continuing to fight; that's what this onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation hopes to accomplish,' Graham said.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supporters of ‘religious liberty' bill renew push for passage as 2025 Georgia Legislature nears end
Sen. Ed Setzler pitches his RFRA bill at an April 1 press conference. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder With the 2025 legislative session set to expire at the end of the week, supporters of a Georgia 'religious freedom' bill gathered in the Capitol to call for its final passage. Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler's Senate Bill 36, also known as the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, has passed the Senate and a House committee. Passage through the full House would send it to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. 'Every Georgian should be free to exercise their faith without unfair federal, state, and local government intrusion,' Setzler said. 'Senate Bill 36, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, protects ordinary people from unfair state and local government intrusion by exactly mirroring the language from the federal RFRA law that protects people from unfair federal government intrusion.' Setzler said 39 states have RFRA laws on the books and characterizes his bill as a way to protect religious liberties at the state and local level the same way the First Amendment protects them at the federal level. He gave the example of a Native American boy whose school tried to make him cut his long braided hair that was part of his religious and cultural heritage. Setzler said the boy's family won a lawsuit under their state's RFRA law. Opponents say without statewide civil rights protections, a RFRA law would allow religious Georgians to discriminate against LGBTQ people or members of religious minorities. 'Cloaked in religion, Georgians can deny thousands of people the ability to live the American dream,' said Atlanta Democratic Sen. RaShaun Kemp, who is gay, in a statement. 'The truth is, these bills aren't helping Georgians. That is why we fight them. Because we know bills like this don't do anything but drive a wedge between neighbors, and harm minorities.' Rep. Esther Panitch, a Sandy Springs Democrat and the state's only currently-serving Jewish state legislator, took issue with Setzler when he said the bill would mostly protect minority religions rather than evangelical Christianity. 'That's a lie,' she said. 'Every time I try to stand up for asking for religious liberty for Jews and how it would be affected by a state RFRA, they essentially say that my religious liberties don't matter.' 'For example, in Judaism, life does not begin at conception,' she said. 'Just look at Israel. (Abortion) is legal and it's accessible, the Jewish state, but if I need one, I can't get one. And so in this state, my religious liberties are being degraded in favor of a Christian majority.' Panitch pointed to Indiana, where the state court of appeals ruled that the right to an abortion can be protected under that state's RFRA law. 'RFRA is now being used in Indiana to create religious exemptions for Jewish women, so on some level, if it passes no matter my objections, I'm going to really enjoy when RFRA gets used to invalidate the heartbeat bill.' Panitch was referencing Georgia's abortion law, sponsored by Setzler in 2019 when he was in the state House. Panitch said she had asked House leadership not to let the bill come to the floor, but influential conservatives are putting pressure on the House to move forward on RFRA. Cole Muzio, head of the evangelical Frontline lobbying firm, gave lawmakers a not-so-subtle message at Setzler's rally. 'As we look ahead to next year, whether it's primary season or general election season, we have long memories and we have expectations, and we expect this to be done now,' he said. Similar bills have fallen short in the Georgia Legislature in recent years, but Setzler said he is confident the House will vote on and pass SB 36 this year. 'I would welcome a large bipartisan vote, but I know we've got the votes on the floor of the House to do this, it's just a matter of making the decision that we need to do it this year,' he said. 'I thank the leadership that's deliberating on this carefully, they're friends of mine, they believe in this deeply. It's a matter of timing. I think it's important to recognize that timing, respectfully, is now.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
