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Religious Freedom Restoration Act (Indiana)

Religious Freedom Restoration Act (Indiana)
Indiana State Legislature
Full nameReligious Freedom Restoration Act
IntroducedJanuary 6, 2015
House votedMarch 23, 2015
Senate votedFebruary 24, 2015
Signed into lawMarch 26, 2015
Sponsor(s)Timothy Wesco, Jud McMillin, Donald Lehe, Milo E. Smith, Bruce Borders, Dale DeVon, Tim Harman, Bob Heaton, Christopher Judy, Eric Koch, Robert Morris, Alan Morrison, Mike Speedy, Jeffrey Thompson, Thomas Washburne, Matt Lehman, David Frizzell, Randy Frye, Richard Hamm, Curt Nisly, Woody Burton, Anthony Cook, Doug Miller, Jim Lucas, Rhonda Rhoads
GovernorMike Pence
BillSB 101
Websitehttp://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/101
Status: Current legislation

Indiana Senate Bill 101, titled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),[1] is a law in the U.S. state of Indiana, which allows individuals and companies to assert as a defense in legal proceedings that their exercise of religion has been, or is likely to be, substantially burdened.[2][3]

The bill was approved by a vote of 40–10[4] and on March 26, 2015, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed SB 101 into law.[5] The bill is similar to the Arizona SB 1062 vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer in 2014, which would have expanded Arizona's existing RFRA to include corporations.[6][7]

The law's signing was met with criticism by such organizations as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Tim Cook (CEO of Apple Inc.), Subaru of America, the gamer convention Gen Con, and the Disciples of Christ. Technology company Salesforce.com said it would halt its plans to expand in the state,[8] as did Angie's List.[9] Opponents of the law claim that it is targeted against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people and other groups. Proponents of the law claim that it protects free exercise of religion and freedom of conscience.[10][11]

Thousands protested against the policy,[12][13] in part because of Indiana's reputation for "Hoosier hospitality".[14][15] Greg Ballard, the Republican mayor of Indianapolis, called on the legislature to repeal the law, or add explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.[16] Mike Pence and Republican leadership in Indiana have defended the bill, stating it is not about discrimination.[10][17][18]

  1. ^ Indiana General Assembly. "Indiana General Assembly, 2015 Session". Iga.in.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  2. ^ Guerra, Kristine (March 31, 2015). "How Indiana's RFRA differs from federal version". Indy Star.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference cnn2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Indiana lawmakers approve 'religious freedom' bill". JURIST Paper Chase. March 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "Indiana Gov. Pence defends religious objections law: 'This bill is not about discrimination'". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Shoichet, Catherine E. (February 27, 2015). "Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes controversial anti-gay bill, SB 1062". CNN.
  7. ^ "Arizona gov. vetoes controversial 'religious freedom' bill". Aljazeera. February 26, 2015.
  8. ^ (March 26, 2015) – "NCAA 'concerned' over Indiana law that allows biz to reject gays " CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  9. ^ Davies, Tom (March 27, 2015). "Indiana officials look to stem religious objections fallout". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Indiana Religious Freedom Law: What You Need to Know". NBC News. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "Religious freedom or discrimination? Tensions rise over 'Right of Conscience Act'". KFOR. February 21, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  12. ^ "Thousands march in Indiana to protest law seen targeting gays". Reuters. March 29, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015.
  13. ^ "Hundreds rally against Indiana law, say it's discriminatory". Associated Press. March 28, 2015.
  14. ^ "Advocates promote Hoosier hospitality amid RFRA criticism". WRTV Indianapolis. March 27, 2015. Archived from the original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  15. ^ Parvini, Sarah (March 28, 2015). "In conservative Indiana, bemusement amid boycott threats over religious freedom law". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference indyballard2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "ABC News "This Week with George Stephanopoulos"". ABC News. March 29, 2015.
  18. ^ "Indiana 'Not Going to Change' Anti-LGBT Law, Gov. Mike Pence Says". KTLA 5. March 29, 2015.

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