Harbin introduces RFRA bill to Georgia Senate

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Senator Marty Harbin introduces SB 221, the Religious Freedom Act, this afternoon, Feb. 27. At right Georgia Baptist Public Affairs representative Mike Griffin holds up a copy of the bill as he leave the Capitol.

ATLANTA — Senator Marty Harbin (R-16), has introduced SB 221, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, commonly referred to as RFRA.

“Today I introduced Senate Bill 221 the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” Harbin shared in a statement. “This simple legislation would meet the Supreme Court's 1997 requirement that if a state wants to protect the first amendment right of religious freedom from government incursion it must pass this Federal legislation at the State level. So far 31 states have done this, and it is past time for Georgia to do so as well.

“This legislation is currently in place in Virginia, the site of one of Amazon's new headquarters. This legislation would require the government to have a compelling interest before it could interfere with someone's religious practices. It would also require the government, in cases where interfering was necessary, to do so in the least invasive way possible.”

Georgia Baptist Public Affairs representative Mike Griffin confirmed the bill’s release in a Facebook post with a photo of him holding one of the first two copies of the bill, which has seven chairmen as cosigners.

“I hold in my hand the one of the first 2 copies of the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (SB 221) from the Senate Clerks office! This is the RFRA that was just dropped a little while ago by my dear friend Sen Marty Harbin!” he shared.

Harbin is a member of First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, where he is a deacon and teaches Sunday School.

politics, religious liberty, RFRA