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Senate committee approves state RFRA after hours of testimony and failed amendments
Summary
SB36 would enact a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act mirroring the federal law; supporters said it restores free-exercise protections, opponents said it would enable discrimination and litigation. Committee approved the bill after several failed amendments.
A Georgia Senate committee approved Senate Bill 36, which would enact a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) mirroring the federal law, after extensive testimony from faith leaders, civil-rights groups and policy advocates and several failed amendment attempts.
Sponsor testimony and supporting witnesses said the bill mirrors the 1993 federal RFRA and would require courts to apply strict scrutiny when a government action substantially burdens a person’s exercise of religion. Supporters argued the measure restores religious-liberty protections for state and local action after the U.S. Supreme Court limited the federal RFRA’s reach in 1997. The bill is carried as LC 442920.
Senator Sutzler (bill sponsor) displayed data showing 38 states with RFRA-style protections and told the committee the bill mirrors federal language and includes two small changes requested by the governor: (1) a provision…
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