(San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2014)—Late Tuesday, the Mississippi legislature sent a bill to Gov. Phil Bryant that would permit businesses and individuals to refuse services to LGBTQ people and others based on religious grounds. If the governor signs Senate Bill 2681, the law would go into effect on July 1.

Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.:

“The breadth and scope of this bill would permit anyone to discriminate if they assert a religious basis for their bigotry. We’ve seen this play out before. In Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a very similar bill in February after a huge outcry from both citizens and businesses. Blatantly unconstitutional laws like this do nothing to protect true religious freedom. Rather, they foment division, suspicion, and intolerance.”