Louisiana, Gov Bobby Jindal fighting attacks on ‘religious freedom’ bill, IBM says ‘no’
Louisiana is the latest state to take up legislation to protect religious freedoms, businesses and individuals from participating in activities against their religion, particularly gay marriage. Accusations of discrimination have begun, targeting Gov. Bobby Jindal, as IBM leads an outcry from businesses agains the move.
Jindal told reporters the Marriage and Conscience Act is designed to protect Christians who are morally opposed to same-sex marriage and prevent Louisiana’s state government from from denying any resident or business a license, benefits, or tax deductions because of actions taken “in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction” about marriage.
“I think as folks see what the bill does, how it’s been narrowly drafted … I think there is more and more support,” Jindal said.
On MSNBC, Jindal told Jane Timm that the bill “is not about discriminating against anyone or about judging people. This is simply about protecting the essential religious freedom rights in the First Amendment.”
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“This Louisiana bill really does what people accused the Indiana law of doing,” leading religious freedom expert and University of Virginia law professor Doug Laycock told msnbc. While Indiana’s law offered up individuals accused of discrimination a legal defense that a judge could then weigh, Laycock explained, this law gives religious individuals absolute protection from state action, without balancing interests of – for instance – whether a gay individual’s right to services outweighs the religious individual’s freedoms.
Then came the financial pressures as IBM vice president James Driesse wrote in a letter to Jindal: “A bill that legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company’s values.”
“IBM will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law,” Driesse said.
The letter asks Jindal to work with the state legislature to “ensure this legislation is not discriminatory.” IBM has made significant investments in Louisiana, including a technology services delivery center in Baton Rouge.
Jindal, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said it’s a matter of liberty.
“I think we can have religious liberty without having discrimination,” he said earlier this month on NBC’s Meet the Press. “I think it’s possible to have both.”
