Indiana To Fold On Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Prediction: The left will not accept their unconditional surrender. (Update via HR braucht ein Bier in the comments: Prediction vindicated.)

So does this absolutely preclude a RFRA defense for a religious florist who is sued by an individual or fined by the government for declining to work a same-sex wedding? "Yes," says University of Virginia law professor Douglas Laycock in an email to THE WEEKLY STANDARD. "There is still the state constitution, but the Indiana Supreme Court’s interpretation of the state constitution’s religious liberty provisions is cryptic, and most courts are unlikely to find broader exemptions in the general language of the constitution when they are excluded from the much more specific language of a state RFRA."

"The churches and their affiliates can still make an argument," Laycock added.

Now here's the thing. Sexual orientation isn't state law in Indiana (yet) but some localities have included it in their local anti-discrimination laws. So this law allows specifically religious institutions to defend themselves on freedom of religion grounds but not a religious individual running a non-religious business.

Of course this whole thing ends with Indiana adding sexual orientation to their non-discrimination laws because that's all the left wants. You will be made to obey. In fact according to the linked piece, legislators are already talking about doing just this. They are just waiting for things to calm down.

But hey Republicans are just throwing so-cons overboard because doing so will make them popular with other voters, right? Er, about that.

Marist refers to “penalties and fines” in its question, and finds 65 percent support for letting businesses withhold wedding services from same-sex couples. Mike Warren at the Standard points out that in February an AP poll found a 57 percent majority for the same position.

Fiscal-cons and social-cons used to be in an uneasy alliance within the GOP. I think we are growing into a more comfortable alliance in telling Republicans to fuck off.

I loathe -- utterly loathe -- the Republican Party. They are worse than worthless.

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 2, 2015

So say we all.

In happier news, the people at Memories Pizza will be compensated for their troubles. $130,000 and counting via a Go Fund Me page set up by Dana Loesch and The Blaze. Not sure how much a pizza place in a small town like that makes in a year but I'm guessing that's a fairly substantial chunk of it.

The left defaced their Yelp page (how much business did they get from Yelp? Like, none, right?), conservatives make them financially whole.

Well played liberals! Well, played.

Added:

The "business community" in Indiana pushed for and vetted this "fix".

Beltway Republican mouthpiece Jennifer Rubin who is always yammering on about how the GOP has to "stand with Israel" urges Republicans to crap on a group that is among the strongest supporters of Israel.

if you are going to have a viable coalition you sometimes have to bite the bullet and support another coalition member's priority. Right now the GOP seems to have a bunch of takers who insist that their views be supported to the end no matter the costs or disagreements while never getting off their asses to back the people they demand loyalty from.

Not sure how that is a viable long term plan.

posted by DrewM. at 12:17 PM

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