SW News: The Religious Freedom Restoration Bill of the US state of West Virginia has moved to the governor's desk after a quick pass through the state Senate. On Tuesday, February 28, by a vote of 30-3, lawmakers passed the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act." The bill will now go to Governor Jim Justice to be signed into law.
Earlier on Monday, the House of Delegates approved House Bill 3042 with a vote of 82 to 12. The legislation says that the government would not be permitted to "substantially burden someone's constitutional right to freedom of religion unless doing so in a particular case is needed to achieve a compelling governmental interest."
However, in cases where the government can prove the "compelling interest," the officials must ensure that religious liberties are violated using "the least restrictive measures."
Defenders of the legislation say that the legislation is intended to protect every individual from religious discrimination and doesn't target any specific community or group. They further describe the bill as a "judicial test" for courts to use when people claim their constitutional right to religious freedom is being violated.
The opponents of the bill labeled it to be a tool to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ groups.
Similar religious freedom restoration acts have been enacted in 23 other US states. The statutes for these legislations are based on the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which allows government rules that conflict with religious convictions to be challenged. It was signed in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton.
According to the legislation, the proposed law cannot be used to justify abortion, essentially outlawed by West Virginia lawmakers last year. The clause was added because pro-abortion groups are contesting abortion restrictions in several states because they infringe upon the religious freedom of people with different faiths.