(The Center Square) – Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Friday that supporters said would protect religious freedom, ending a years-long battle.
Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, sponsored a similar bill in 2016. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the legislation that was then called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”
The House by 96-70 passed Senate Bill 36 on Wednesday and sent it to Kemp’s desk. Democrats rejected Republican claims that the bill would not lead to discrimination.
“If they didn’t want to discriminate then they would have no problem adopting any of the amendments presented that said ‘do not discriminate against anybody else,'” said Rep. Esther Panitch, D-Sandy Springs.
Republicans said the bill mirrored the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Georgia bill is needed because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said the federal bill only protected against federal discrimination.
“I have always maintained that I would support and sign a version of RFRA which mirrors the language and protections provided by federal law since 1993,” Kemp said in an X post. “My commitment to that promise and to the deeply held beliefs of Georgians of faith remains unwavering. I also want to assure those of differing views that Georgia remains a welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family.”
