Mississippi governor appeals “Religious Freedom” ruling
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, an ardent backer of the state’s controversial “Religious Freedom” law, filed notice Thursday that he is appealing a federal judge’s rejection of the measure last week.
Bryant says in a motion filed in U.S. District Court that plaintiffs in four lawsuits contesting the legislation haven’t proved they would be harmed. The governor asked that an injunction blocking implementation of the law, which was to go into effect July 1, be lifted until the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rules.
“The Court complains that HB 1523’s protections ‘creates a vehicle for state-sanctioned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,’ but that observation reflects nothing more than the Court’s disagreement with Mississippi’s decision to prioritize freedom of conscience over anti-discrimination norms,” lawyers for the Republican governor argue.
Commercial Appeal
7/7/16
Magnolia Tribune
