April 24, 2024
Last year, the Georgia legislature passed a religious freedom bill, to only have it vetoed by Governor Deal. As many of you may know, Sen. Harbin, earlier in the legislative session, submitted SB 233 with the same subject matter. The bill was assigned to the Senate Rules committee and has not been heard of since.
With SB 233 tabled in committee, and with only two days left in the Georgia legislative session, Sen Marty Harbin made a bold and courageous statement by amending HB 257 in the senate, to include a 1993 version of the federal “Religious Freedom Restoration Act," to be applied at the local government level.
What does this mean? First, did you know that inmates housed in federal correctional institutions in Georgia have more religious protection than you, a law-abiding citizen? This is because the federal facility and the inmates are covered under the 1993 federal RFRA. Senator Harbin’s amendment simply is a “local RFRA,” in which local governments must provide citizens the same religious freedom protections as those federal inmates in the state of Georgia.
Mike Griffin interviewed Senator Josh McKoon on the subject and latest updates. Watch the video here.
Unfortunately, SB 257 was tabled in the Senate last night. With only 1 day left in the session (Thu. 3/30), there is only time for one final push TODAY for needed religious freedom protection in Georgia. Please contact your Senator and Senate leadership and ask them to take HB 257 off the table, and pass it as amended with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act! Your prayers and support are crucial at this late hour!
Please Call Your State Senator TODAY to support HB 257 as amended with RFRA on the Senate floor!
If you don’t know your senator, you can look him/her up by your address at openstates.org.
Please contact Senate leadership to let them know you support HB 257 as amended. Please take it off the table and allow the Senate to vote on it as amended!
Senate Leadership:
Casey Cagle, Lt. Governor: (404) 656.5030 and contact via email
David Shafer, President Pro Tempore (R-Duluth): (404) 656.0048 and david.shafer@senate.ga.gov
Bill Cowsert, Majority Leader (R-Athens): (404) 463.1366 and bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov
