An Iowa Senate committee has approved a bill that would drastically expand religious privilege in the state.
The bill, SF 2284, is a state version of the federal law called RFRA, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This discriminatory bill died last year, but we need your help to make sure it doesn’t become law this year.
The federal RFRA law is directly responsible for the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby debacle, allowing religious business owners to avoid following laws that they claim conflict with their religious beliefs. State RFRAs, based on the federal version, are emboldening corporations and business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ people, religious minorities, the nonreligious — and any other group their religion declares inferior.
The Iowa Senate will soon consider this dangerous measure. Please use our automated system to contact your state senator and tell them to oppose SF 2284. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
Talking Points
Please oppose SF 2284 (previously SF 2170), which is a state RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act). The federal RFRA law is directly responsible for the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby debacle, allowing religious business owners to avoid following laws that they say conflict with their religious beliefs. State RFRAs, based on the federal version, embolden corporations and business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ people, religious minorities, the nonreligious and any other group their religion declares inferior.
Despite their name, RFRAs are bad for religious freedom, allowing discrimination against religious minorities. Other states that have passed RFRAs have reeled from the economic blowback as major companies and grassroots organizers alike have pushed for statewide boycotts based on the discriminatory rule. This was perhaps most memorably seen in Indiana, when then-Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill into law and the backlash was so severe that he scrambled to “fix” the bill, leaving discriminatory evangelicals feeling betrayed. Indiana would have been far better off if it had never passed the bill. Thank you for opposing this discriminatory bill.
