Seemingly unfazed by the backlash Indiana and Arizona faced during their debates over "licenses to discriminate," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is moving full steam ahead on a "religious freedom" bill, the AP reports:
The Republican governor, speaking to reporters in a wide-ranging interview, attempted to flip the script on opponents by describing the bill as an anti-discrimination measure designed to protect Christians who are morally opposed to same-sex marriage in an increasingly permissive society.
"Religious liberty is not just about the ability to pray a couple of hours a week," said Jindal, who has presidential ambitions built on an appeal to evangelical Christians and social conservatives. "Religious liberty is about being able to live your life seven days a week according to your beliefs."
As written, the "Marriage and Conscience Act" — a cornerstone of Jindal's legislative agenda — would prohibit the state from denying any resident or business a license, benefits or tax deductions because of actions taken "in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction" about marriage.
The proposal has already received push-back, with IBM writing this week that the company "will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law," and that the legislation "is antithetical to our company's values."
Jindal responded to IBM with a letter of his own, which you can read AFTER THE JUMP…
Promisingly, Senate President John Alario remains "skeptical" of the legislation.
