-̮̮̃-̃ ̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾ ™Usenet=Legends bobaиdcaяole ----->♫♫♫♫
2013-04-27 02:44:57 UTC
It is the constitutional RIGHT of any business to refuse faggots
because of their sickening lifestyle. As you can plainly see the
battle is far from over...b&c
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2:58 p.m. EDT April 26, 2013
ACLU sued a Wash. florist that denied service to a gay couple
Wash. state bill introduced by GOP lawmakers would allow this
Washington voters legalized gay marriage in November
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Several Republican lawmakers filed a bill
Thursday seeking an exemption to the state's anti-discrimination laws
just weeks after legal action was taken against a Richland florist who
denied service to a gay couple for their upcoming wedding.
The bill introduced by Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, would allow
businesses the right to deny services or goods if they felt doing so
was contrary to their "sincerely held religious beliefs, philosophical
beliefs, or matters of conscience."
The measure would not apply to the denial of services to people under
a protected class under federal law, such as race, religion or
disability.
Brown said the measure seeks to protect people or religious
organizations from legal persecution. "There's a glaring lack of
protection for religion in state law," she said.
Also signing on to the bill were Sens. Janea Holmquist Newbry, Mike
Hewitt, Jim Honeyford, Don Benton, Barbara Bailey, Mike Padden, John
Braun, John Smith, Ann Rivers, and Linda Evans Parlette.
The bill has not yet been referred to a committee or scheduled for a
public hearing, and is not likely to before the regular legislative
session ends on Sunday. However, if a special session is called, as
expected, the bill could be heard during that time.
Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington
state filed a lawsuit in response to a March 1 incident in which
Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for Robert Ingersoll
and Curt Freed's wedding, despite the two men being longtime patrons
of her shop — Arlene's Flowers and Gifts in Richland, which is in
Brown's legislative district. Previously, Washington state Attorney
General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit in the case.
Ferguson had sent a letter in March asking her to comply with the law,
but said Stutzman's attorneys responded saying she would challenge any
state action to enforce the law.
Her attorney, Justin D. Bristol, has said he expects to take the legal
battle to federal court and argue Stutzman's refusal of service based
on the 1st Amendment's right to free speech.
While Washington voters legalized gay marriage in November,
protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation were
codified in 2006, in one of the first initial pushes to expand civil
rights to the gay community in the state.
Under state law, it's illegal for businesses to refuse to sell goods,
merchandise and services to any person because of their sexual
orientation.
Josh Friedes, a spokesman for Equal Rights Washington, said that the
bill seeks to undermine the state's anti-discrimination laws "and it
undermines our entire approach to ensuring the equality of all
Washingtonians in commerce."
"It is discrimination, pure and simple," he said.
Brown argued that the bill is not intended to undermine the law or the
rights of gays and lesbians in the state and isn't a commentary on
same-sex marriage.
"The citizens of the state clearly weighed in on that issue," she
said. "It's intended to protect religious freedoms."
Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who sponsored
the civil rights expansion bill in 2006 as well as the state's gay
marriage law, said the proposal seeks to revisit long settled civil
rights legislation, arguing that the nation has long moved beyond that
discussion.
"I don't think we want to go into our civil rights laws and decide who
gets served and who doesn't get served," he said.
Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of
Washington, said that while he knows the bill is not likely to gain
any traction in the Legislature this year, he hopes it sparks a
discussion.
"The government is now saying if you have a conviction about an issue
that we happen to disagree with, then you as a business owner are
going to be fined or shut down because of that," he said. "People
should and do have the right to their own convictions."
because of their sickening lifestyle. As you can plainly see the
battle is far from over...b&c
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
2:58 p.m. EDT April 26, 2013
ACLU sued a Wash. florist that denied service to a gay couple
Wash. state bill introduced by GOP lawmakers would allow this
Washington voters legalized gay marriage in November
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Several Republican lawmakers filed a bill
Thursday seeking an exemption to the state's anti-discrimination laws
just weeks after legal action was taken against a Richland florist who
denied service to a gay couple for their upcoming wedding.
The bill introduced by Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, would allow
businesses the right to deny services or goods if they felt doing so
was contrary to their "sincerely held religious beliefs, philosophical
beliefs, or matters of conscience."
The measure would not apply to the denial of services to people under
a protected class under federal law, such as race, religion or
disability.
Brown said the measure seeks to protect people or religious
organizations from legal persecution. "There's a glaring lack of
protection for religion in state law," she said.
Also signing on to the bill were Sens. Janea Holmquist Newbry, Mike
Hewitt, Jim Honeyford, Don Benton, Barbara Bailey, Mike Padden, John
Braun, John Smith, Ann Rivers, and Linda Evans Parlette.
The bill has not yet been referred to a committee or scheduled for a
public hearing, and is not likely to before the regular legislative
session ends on Sunday. However, if a special session is called, as
expected, the bill could be heard during that time.
Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington
state filed a lawsuit in response to a March 1 incident in which
Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for Robert Ingersoll
and Curt Freed's wedding, despite the two men being longtime patrons
of her shop — Arlene's Flowers and Gifts in Richland, which is in
Brown's legislative district. Previously, Washington state Attorney
General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit in the case.
Ferguson had sent a letter in March asking her to comply with the law,
but said Stutzman's attorneys responded saying she would challenge any
state action to enforce the law.
Her attorney, Justin D. Bristol, has said he expects to take the legal
battle to federal court and argue Stutzman's refusal of service based
on the 1st Amendment's right to free speech.
While Washington voters legalized gay marriage in November,
protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation were
codified in 2006, in one of the first initial pushes to expand civil
rights to the gay community in the state.
Under state law, it's illegal for businesses to refuse to sell goods,
merchandise and services to any person because of their sexual
orientation.
Josh Friedes, a spokesman for Equal Rights Washington, said that the
bill seeks to undermine the state's anti-discrimination laws "and it
undermines our entire approach to ensuring the equality of all
Washingtonians in commerce."
"It is discrimination, pure and simple," he said.
Brown argued that the bill is not intended to undermine the law or the
rights of gays and lesbians in the state and isn't a commentary on
same-sex marriage.
"The citizens of the state clearly weighed in on that issue," she
said. "It's intended to protect religious freedoms."
Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who sponsored
the civil rights expansion bill in 2006 as well as the state's gay
marriage law, said the proposal seeks to revisit long settled civil
rights legislation, arguing that the nation has long moved beyond that
discussion.
"I don't think we want to go into our civil rights laws and decide who
gets served and who doesn't get served," he said.
Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of
Washington, said that while he knows the bill is not likely to gain
any traction in the Legislature this year, he hopes it sparks a
discussion.
"The government is now saying if you have a conviction about an issue
that we happen to disagree with, then you as a business owner are
going to be fined or shut down because of that," he said. "People
should and do have the right to their own convictions."
