‘Religious freedom’ legislation vetoed

Associated Press

ATLANTA

Georgia’s term-limited Gov. Nathan Deal took a stand against his own party and averted threatened boycotts by major corporations Monday by announcing his veto of a “religious freedom” bill.

“I do not think that we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia,” the Republican governor declared.

Religious conservatives had campaigned hard for Deal’s signature, but the industries he has recruited to Georgia also applied pressure.

The NFL warned that Atlanta’s bid for the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl could be in jeopardy. Technology firms, led by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, asked for Deal’s veto. The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Studios and dozens of Hollywood figures vowed to take projects elsewhere, despite Georgia’s generous tax credits for the film industry. Multimillion-dollar events and investments were threatened.

Lawmakers around the nation are advancing “religious freedom” measures, which have passed at least one chamber in 10 states: Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. But Deal said only the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution can protect people of faith – along with everybody else.

“If indeed our religious liberty is conferred by God and not by man-made government, we should heed the ‘hands-off’ admonition of the First Amendment to our Constitution,” Deal said.