Written by Don Byrd
Last week, I posted about the effort in the Mississippi legislature to adopt a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Unfortunately, in recent months, state RFRA proposals have become increasingly controversial, partly because the language of many of the bills strays too far from the careful safeguards in the federal version, and partly due to the extreme rhetoric from both advocates and opponents.
Perhaps in response to the intense debate, the Mississippi House earlier today voted to send the measure back to be studied by committees, rather than voting on the bill itself. Jackson’s Clarion-Ledger explains:
The House Republican leadership on Wednesday, deadline for action on Senate bills, concluded it didn’t have enough votes to pass the version approved by the House Judiciary B Committee, and it appeared the measure was going to die on the calendar without a vote. But the GOP leadership was reportedly catching fire from religious groups who didn’t want the bill to die.
The GOP leadership recessed the House and called a meeting of the Republican caucus, apparently striking a deal for the study committee amendment.
The State Senate will now decide whether to agree with the House’s approach or reject it.
