Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) has signed into law a “religious liberty” bill that could be used to justify various forms of discrimination, including anti-LGBT discrimination. The bill, SB 2681, was approved by the legislature earlier this week after being a conference between the House and Senate. It differs from other state’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” (RFRAs) because Mississippi law defines the word “person” to include businesses, and thus it applies to corporations instead of just private citizens exercising their religious beliefs.
The Family Research Council, an anti-LGBT hate group, took credit for its passage:
The victory was a huge one for FRC, who worked with local churches and conservative policy organizations to coordinate a pastors’ letter in support of the measures with more than 600 signatures. That, in turn, helped to bring along the business community — which, in Arizona, was so deceived by the media and outside leftist groups that it couldn’t distinguish what the bill actually did. Mississippi companies didn’t have that problem, because the state tuned out the propaganda and focused on the actual language.
Incidentally, Bryant will defend the legislation Thursday afternoon on FRC’s radio show hosted by Tony Perkins.