We did it! We stopped RFRA in 2015

When Georgia General Assembly officially closed their doors last week for this legislative session and with it ended any chance that RFRA could move forward in Georgia in 2015.

That’s right. For another year at least, we can state with confidence that this harmful legislation will not grant individuals and businesses a license to discriminate under the guise of religious beliefs. This is a victory, to be sure. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Since RFRA passed the state Senate this year, the bill still remains active and can move forward when lawmakers are back in session next year. What’s more, since Georgia remains one of only a handful of states without a civil rights statute, LGBT Georgians still remain woefully unprotected against discrimination under the laws of our state.

On the cusp of this victory, in no short order, we owe thanks where is due. To you. Because supporters like you who emailed and called your lawmakers and rallied with us at the Statehouse, this victory is ours.

But since RFRA is still active in the legislature, and we have no statewide civil rights law, today can’t be the end. We must remain vigilant—and let lawmakers know we’ll be back next year.

 

What is RFRA?  For more info click here.

Georgia Unites Against Discrimination, a joint project of HRC and Georgia Equality, has been actively working to stop this bill since it was filed and continues to have grave concerns about its impact on LGBT Georgians, the Georgia economy, and other minorities groups.  Rep. Sam Teasley has abandoned his companion bill to SB 129, to instead focus on getting the Senate-passd version through the House. The clock is ticking: the Georgia legislative session ends on April 2.