Thursday, April 2, 2015

Indiana Legislature Caves, Guts Religious Freedom Restoration Act



Indiana Legislature Caves, Guts Religious Freedom Restoration Act
by Ben Shapiro2 Apr 2015
On Thursday, Indiana Republicans in the state legislature caved to pressure from the left regarding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which simply preserved the right of religious people to act according to their rights in their businesses, so long as those principles did not conflict with a “compelling state interest.”

The amendment to the RFRA actively states that service providers may not use the RFRA as a defense if they refuse to serve people based on sexual orientation. Presumably, the Indiana legislators hope that the RFRA will still protect service providers who refuse to serve same-sex weddings, since failure to serve same-sex weddings is not the same as failure to serve gay clients. But that is a flimsy branch upon which to build an argument for freedom.

In caving to the demands of the left, the state of Indiana actually enshrined more special rights for gays and lesbians than had existed before the RFRA was passed. Indiana law made no reference to sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination statutes prior to the RFRA; now the RFRA itself will be used as a weapon against religious Americans in Indiana who believe that homosexuality is a sin, since the law affirmatively prohibits a religious freedom defense with regard to failure to serve gays and lesbians.

Indiana legislators are so frightened that they plan to expand state anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation explicitly. Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said that such legislation “needs to be discussed.” Bosma said that while the law did not discriminate against gays and lesbians, “it was the perception that had to be addressed.” He added, “All we can say is we are sorry that misinterpretation hurt so many people.”

He and his colleagues ought to be sorry, given that they were happy to make noises about defending religious liberty when it was politically convenient but now plan to use the government to encroach upon it.

Same-sex weddings
Clifford S. Asness supported same-sex marriage in New York, was a leadership council member for the Robin Hood Foundation, and is a director at the International Rescue Committee.

Note: Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation, and the International Rescue Committee.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Harold E. Ford Jr. was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Evan Bayh was a chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, and the Indiana state government governor & secretary of state.
Democratic Leadership Council was an affiliated think tank for the Progressive Policy Institute.
Progressive Policy Institute is a project of the Third Way Foundation Inc.
Third Way
The Third Way, according to New Democrats Online, the Democratic Leadership Council's online community, is "a global movement dedicated to modernizing progressive politics for the information age. Third Way politics seeks a new balance of economic dynamism and social security, a new social compact based on individual rights and responsibilities, and a new model for governing that equips citizens and communities to solve their own problems."
Thomas R. Carper was the vice chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, and is an honorary co-chair for the Third Way.
Daniel S. Loeb was a trustee at the Third Way, and supported same-sex marriage in New York.
Georgette F. Bennett is a trustee at the Third Way, and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.
Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, supported same-sex marriage in New York, was a leadership council member for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Emma Bloomberg was a senior planning officer for the Robin Hood Foundation, and is Michael R. Bloomberg’s daughter.
Michael R. Bloomberg was a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, the New York (NY) mayor, is Emma Bloomberg’s father, and an advocate for the ONE Campaign.
ONE Campaign is a partner with the International Rescue Committee.
Michelle Obama is an advocate for the ONE Campaign, and was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
William M. Daley is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a trustee at the Third Way, and was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration.
Ronald A. Klain is a trustee at the Third Way, and a coordinator of government Ebola efforts for the Barack Obama administration.
Susan McCue is a trustee at the Third Way, was Harry Reid’s chief of staff, and the founding president & CEO for the ONE Campaign.
ONE Campaign is a partner with the International Rescue Committee.
Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, supported same-sex marriage in New York, was a leadership council member for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Daniel S. Loeb supported same-sex marriage in New York, and was a trustee at the Third Way.
Thomas R. Carper is an honorary co-chair for the Third Way, and was the vice chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council.
Evan Bayh was a chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, the Indiana state government governor & secretary of state, and is Birch Evans Bayh Jr’s son.
Birch Evans Bayh Jr. is Evan Bayh’s father, and was the speaker for the Indiana House of Representatives.
Dan A. Dumezich was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, and a partner at Mayer Brown.
William M. Daley 
Professional career 
Daley returned to the practice of law, as a partner with the firm Mayer Brown (then Mayer, Brown & Platt) from 1993 to 1997.
William M. Daley was a partner at the Mayer Brown, chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration, is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a trustee at the Third Way.
Melody C. Barnes was a domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration, a principal for the Raben Group, and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.
Raben Group was the lobby firm for the National Education Association.
John I. Wilson was an executive director at the National Education Association, and is a director at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.





























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