LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas House has approved the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The Tuesday afternoon vote was 67 to 21.
The measure is now headed to the desk of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has been urged by hundreds of people to veto it. Gov. Hutchinson has already said he plans to sign the act into Arkansas law.
Wording of the act states that it is to provide protection for religious practice, as well as remedies and penalties for violating or abusing religious protections. More specifically, the act seeks to ensure that in all cases in which state action substantially burdens the exercise of religion, strict scrutiny is applied and that it provide a claim or defense to a person whose exercise of religion is substantially burdened by state action.
Opponents of the measure say they fear the law will lead to discrimination against gays.
Opponents of the measure say they fear the law will lead to discrimination against gays.
