Indiana Republican says bill targets gays, and will give lawyers lots of revenue (surprise, surpise!).
Senate Bill 101 may have signaled "religious freedom" to the vast majority of his Republican peers, but to state Rep. Ed Clere, it said something else entirely.
"Do we want our sign to say 'Welcome?' "
the New Albany Republican said Friday. "Or do we want our sign to say 'Closed for Business?' Or 'Certain people aren't welcome?' Or, as some have suggested, 'We don't accept fill-in-the-blank?' "
Clere is one of just five Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly who bucked their party line and voted "no" on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Four of the five - all members of the Indiana House - spoke to The Star about their votes last week, as Indiana was thrust into a heated national discussion about whether the bill protects religious rights or promotes state-sanctioned intolerance.
Signed into law Thursday by Republican Gov. Mike Pence, RFRA sets up a new litmus test for Indiana courts, prohibiting state or local governments from "substantially burdening" a person's ability to exercise religion, unless the government can meet certain criteria.
Religious conservatives hailed the bill as providing a much-needed check against government forcing those who have strong faiths to violate their principles. Opponents fear it will be used as a license to discriminate, because it might encourage business owners to cite their religious beliefs if they wish to refuse service to someone.
Much of the focus of the debate has been the implications of whether the bill sent a discriminatory message to gays and lesbians and same-sex couples.
Clere said there's no doubt it did.
He said that while his fellow Republicans have tried to downplay that aspect, "it's impossible to separate it" so soon after a failed Republican-led push to amend the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
"I know supporters of RFRA have said it's not about gay people or gay rights, but it's unavoidable," Clere said.
Clere said he also couldn't support the bill because no one really knows what it actually can or can't do.
"The only sure thing about this legislation from a legal standpoint is it leaves a lot of questions unanswered and will provide work for a lot of attorneys," he said.
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/03/30/meet-indiana-republicans-voted-rfra/70568776/