I included a blog post below to help clarify the differences in the current version of the Pastor Protection Act/First Amendment Defense Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

This post is a summary after Crossover Day (Day 30 of 40), which is when bills must cross over to the other legislative body (House or Senate) to stay “alive” for the remaining days of the session.

SB 129 Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act introduced by Sen. Josh McKoon has passed the Senate. In 2015 it was tabled in the House Judiciary with an anti-discrimination amendment. The Judiciary Chairman indicated he would not even consider until after Crossover Day.

HB 757 Pastor Protection Act and the language of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) were combined in the Senate Rules Committee and passed the full Senate, which is a good development and should provide protection to both pastors and all Christians in Georgia. Action: contact the Speaker of the House, David Ralston, and ask him to “agree” to the bill. Contact your GA House member and ask him/her to support this version of the Pastor Protection Act.

HB 837 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, introduced by Rep. Ed Setzler, adopts the federal RFRA language, to remove any concerns that SB 129 does not mirror the federal language. Click here for a short synopsis.  No movement, but there is talk it may be added to the Pastor Protection Act (instead of the FADA language, as it is now). Contact your GA House Member and ask for support of Rep. Setzler’s RFRA.

To be clear, the Pastor Protection Act with either the First Amendment Defense Act OR the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is acceptable (see chart). The Pastor Protection Act alone only protects a very small group of Georgia citizens, and is not acceptable. Read blog post below for a fuller explanation.

No one is for state-sanctioned discrimination, and these religious freedom bills do NOT allow that. In fact, every Georgian would be protected regardless of their religious belief or view of marriage. Ask yourself: do you think a Christian school in Georgia (or other Christian ministry) should be stripped of its tax-exempt status if they do not hire faculty who are in same-sex relationships? That is being demanded by a University of Georgia professor in this article. Do you think a Christian student be expected to attend a gay pride parade and enroll in “sensitivity training” or face dismissal from her college program? Jennifer Keaton explains in this video that is what happened to her at Augusta State University. The free exercise of religion is a God-given and constitutionally protected right of all Americans. The Georgia General Assembly should not give in to corporate extortion, but should act now to ensure that people of faith are not discriminated against.

Some other legislation:
Two Resolutions were introduced to enable a vote in November to change the Georgia Constitution to allow for gambling in Georgia. One on pari-mutual wagering on horse-racing and the other on regional casinos. Neither made it through Crossover Day (legislative day 30), which likely means they are dead for the year.

HB 716 would prohibit a person who is licensed to provide professional counseling to counsel a person under 18 years of age with same-sex attraction to resist that inclination. Did not “cross over” by Crossover Day.