Kappa Theta Epsilon Supports the Vetoing of Georgia HB 757
Kappa Theta Epsilon Sorority, Incorporated is pleased to learn that Governor Nathan Deal has chosen to veto GA House Bill 757.
The controversial piece of proposed legislation, named the First Amendment Defense Act, was passed by the state legislature in February and made it to the Governor’s desk amid strong opposition from the civic and business communities.
FADA was a legislative attempt to codify into GA law similar protections to those included in the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) which was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1997.
The legislation would give legal protection to any ministerial staff, clergy or “faith based organizations” to refuse services “that violate such faith based organization’s sincerely held religious belief.”
That means that faith-based organizations could refuse to “rent, lease, or otherwise grant permission for property to be used by another person for an event which is objectionable to such faith based organization.” The definition of “faith-based organization” is broad enough to include several Georgia universities, and local businesses owned by religious organizations.
We salute the state legislators and business community who stood with our constituency to see this legislation defeated. Though the war isn’t yet won, this is a decided victory for Georgians.
Read the Sorority’s official press release.
Read Gov. Deal’s remarks on HB 757 here.
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