Kentucky’s Senate approved a bill in early March that will allow business owners to refuse customers that are gay or lesbian based on that business owner’s beliefs. This bill was passed on a twenty-two to sixteen vote. The bill was approved by Kentucky Senator Albert Robinson and he said that the bill was “common sense” and that we should “live and let live.” Bill 180 is well on its way to the statehouse to be discussed further. This bill will revoke all anti-discrimination laws in these cities: Covington, Danville, Lexington, Louisville, Midway, Morehead, and Vicco. The bill says that “no statute, regulation, ordinance, order, judgment, or other law or action by any court, commission, or other public agency shall impair, impede, infringe upon, or otherwise restrict the exercise of protected rights by any protected activity provider.”
Source:
Arturo Garcia, “Kentucky Senate approves ‘religious freedom’ bill letting businesses reject gay customers,” Raw Story, March 15, 2016, http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/kentucky-senate-approves-religious-freedom-bill-letting-businesses-reject-gay-customers/
Student Researcher: Robert Morgan, Indian River State College
Faculty Evaluator: Elliot Cohen, Ph.D., Indian River State College.