Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has figured out who the real victims are; the poor picked on Christians who aren't being allowed to discriminate against gay people: Jindal: Christian Businesses in Indiana Are Being Discriminated Against:
The Republican governor of Louisiana said Sunday morning that he feels Christian businesses in Indiana were facing discrimination in the debate over the state's "religious freedom" law.
Gov. Bobby Jindal said he believes that businesses have the right to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings based on the owner's religious beliefs.
"We're not talking about day-to-day routine commercial transactions," Jindal said. "We're talking about a very specific example here of business owners, of florists, of musicians, of caterers who are being forced to either pay thousands of dollars or close their businesses if they don't want to participate in a wedding ceremony that contradicts their religious beliefs."
"So in that instance, yeah, I think part of the First Amendment means that we allow individuals to obey their conscience, to obey their religious beliefs," he said.
Jindal also addressed a Louisiana bill that may allow private employers to deny benefits to an employee in a legally-recognized same-sex marriage, saying he needed to see the legislation first.
He added that he would defend religious liberty while not condoning discrimination. "I don't think those two values are mutually exclusive. And I think that's what this debate has been really about. I think we can have religious liberty without having discrimination. I think it's possible to have both," the governor said.
As Chuck Todd mentioned in the beginning of the interview, it looks like Louisiana is the next state ready to stir up more controversy over the issue of gay marriage and these businesses who want to discriminate against LGBT couples: Louisiana legislator will introduce bill to enhance 'religious freedom':
A north Louisiana legislator plans to introduce a bill aimed at protecting the religious freedom of people who might disagree with prevailing views on marriage -- whatever those views might be.
State Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, is drafting a bill that would prohibit the Louisiana government from denying a license, organizational papers and permits to a business based on the owners' interpretation of marriage. The legislation may end up applying to local parish and city government as well, but Johnson hadn't finished drafting it yet, he said.
Johnson said this measure would ensure that a business owner -- a baker for example -- who did not want to serve same-sex couples would not be able to get his license or incorporation approval pulled by the government for doing so. The same would apply to businesses who might anger the government by welcoming same-sex marriage.
"It is a protection for all persons regardless of their religious viewpoint," he said.
Johnson insists that the legislation is not the same as the laws stirring up controversy in Indiana and Arkansas. Louisiana already passed its own Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2010 and doesn't need an update to that legislation, he explained.
"We have a [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] on the books already. ... [My bill] would specifically target discrimination by the government. It's actually a new concept," said Johnson, a lawyer who argued several cases against the American Civil Liberties Union on matters of religious expression and freedom.
Yet the crux of Johnson's idea -- to protect businesses that might not want to serve same-sex couples for religious reasons -- is similar to what has caused outrage in Indiana and Arkansas. After blowback from the business and the sports community this week, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is calling for an amendment to his state's law to explicitly protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. Read on...
