The Mississippi House and Senate on Tuesday, in a fit of overwhelming stupidity and unbridled religious bigotry, approved a bill which opponents say would legalize discrimination against gays.
The Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act (also known as Senate Bill 2681) aims to “provide that state action or an action by any person based on state action shall not burden a person’s right to the exercise of religion.”
Each individual will be guaranteed the right to deny goods and services to anyone (not just gays) just by stating it is against their religious belief to do so.
Democratic State Senator Derrick Simmons has repeatedly said that the proposed legislation would allow discrimination in Mississippi.
“I urge you not to legalize discrimination in the State of Mississippi,” Simmons told colleagues debating the bill.
“I believe certainly by the way that this bill is drafted that it will allow discrimination in Mississippi,” he said. “There is nothing in the proposed legislation that prohibits that.”
The ACLU said in a statement that the measure “could allow individuals and businesses to bring challenges against what they view as substantial government burdens against religion, including challenging existing nondiscrimination laws.”
However, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill into law.
Mississippi, once again leading the country in hate, prejudice and bigotry…if nothing else, they are consistent!
It stands to reason the state has one of the lowest levels of parental education in the nation and the most families in poverty. They are the only state in which less than 20 percent of eighth graders are proficient in math and reading.
While a mere 63 percent of their students graduate high school, the bigger problem for Mississippi is that the high school assessments and credits do not align with postsecondary school standards. They lack an assessment at the district level to ensure children are ready for school. In all categories, they have the worst NAEP scores in the nation.
Way to go Mississippi.
The Yue Blog 