Proposed Changes to Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act Zap Pro-Life Protections

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 2, 2015   |   3:22PM   |   Washington, DC

When Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a religious freedom bill into law much of the firestorm of controversy surrounding it related to other issues. But pro-life advocates support it because it would protect the pro-life values of Hoosiers who don’t want to be forced to participate in abortions.

Pence signed into law Indiana’s historic Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enabling new protections for pro-life persons, businesses and ministries from being forced to support abortion.

Indiana Right to Life’s President Mike Fichter attended the bill signing ceremony as Governor Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), SB 101, into law. The pro-life group, in an email to LifeNews.com, applauded the governor.

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

 

“This bill will give pro-lifers a necessary legal recourse if they are pressured to support abortion against their deeply-held religious beliefs,” he said at the time.

Now, Fichter is calling for Governor Pence to veto the proposed changes, saying they delete the pro-life protections.

mikepence2

Upon analyzing the Indiana legislature’s proposed changes to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) law, Indiana Right to Life opposes the changes and urges Gov. Mike Pence to veto the bill changing RFRA, the group told LifeNews.

“Indiana Right to Life opposes the proposed changes to Indiana’s new RFRA law since they dismantle much of the protections in the law designed to protect pro-life persons, businesses and ministries from being forced to support abortion under government order,” stated Fichter. “The proposed changes would limit the scope of the protections afforded by current Indiana RFRA law significantly. The changes would create a state RFRA that is far more restrictive than federal RFRA law.”

Fichter continued: “If these proposed changes become law and a case like Hobby Lobby’s came forward, we believe courts could interpret the law to side with a government mandate that requires businesses to provide abortion-inducing drugs to employees. Indiana’s RFRA law was introduced because the Hobby Lobby court case showed Indiana did not have a state level religious freedom law. The General Assembly and Gov. Pence must not undo the protections provided to all Hoosiers through Indiana’s RFRA law. We urge Gov. Pence to veto the proposed changes to Indiana’s RFRA law.”

ACTION: Contact Governor Mike Pence.