Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016#RFRA

Hillary Clinton announced her presidential run on April 12, 2015.[1]

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Hillary Clinton
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## Contents

* 1 Clinton on RFRA
* 2 Recent news
* 3 See also
* 4 Footnotes

This page was current as of the 2016 election.
In March 2015, Indiana Governor Mike Pence (R), who was considered a  possible 2016 presidential candidate at the time and who later became Donald Trump's running mate on July 15, 2016, was at the center of a controversy about protecting religious rights and the rights of gays and lesbians. The controversy in Indiana spread nationwide, prompting the 2016 presidential candidates to comment on Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act and share their broader views on the First Amendment and same-sex marriage.

On March 26, 2015, Pence signed Senate Bill 101, better known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), into law.[2][3] The law "prohibits a governmental entity from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the governmental entity can demonstrate that the burden: (1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest."[2]

After signing the bill, Pence said, "[t]he Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution both provide strong recognition of the freedom of religion, but today, many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action."[4]

According to Reuters, "Supporters of the bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of the Republican-controlled state legislature, say it will keep the government from forcing business owners to act against strongly held religious beliefs. Opponents say it is discriminatory and broader than other state religious freedom laws."[3]

After receiving significant backlash, the Indiana State Legislature proposed changes to the RFRA. The clarification bill stated that a provider cannot "refuse to offer or provide services, facilities, use of public accommodations, goods, employment, or housing to any member or members of the general public on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or United States military service." The bill also clarified that the law cannot be used to "establish a defense to a civil action or criminal prosecution for refusal by a provider to offer or provide services, facilities, use of public accommodations, goods, employment, or housing to any member or members of the general public on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or United States military service."[5] Pence signed the clarification bill, Senate Bill 50, on April 2. The law took effect on July 1, 2015.[6]

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "Since 1993, 21 states have enacted state RFRAs. These laws are intended to echo the federal RFRA, but are not necessarily identical to the federal law."[7]

Read below what Hillary Clinton and the 2016 Democratic Party Platform said about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

##  Clinton on RFRA[edit]

* On April 1, 2015, Hillary Clinton posted the following tweet in response to Arkansas' SB 975, a bill similar to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act:

Hillary Clinton's tweet from April 1, 2015

* After Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act on March 26, 2015, Clinton tweeted, "Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT."[8]

* Read what other 2016 presidential candidates said about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on guaranteeing LGBT rights

| “  | Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights

Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people—like other Americans—have the right to marry the person they love. But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, restaurants can refuse to serve transgender people, and same-sex couples are at risk of being evicted from their homes. That is unacceptable and must change. Democrats will fight for the continued development of sex discrimination law to cover LGBT people. We will also fight for comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections for all LGBT Americans, to guarantee equal rights in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding. We will oppose all state efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals, including legislation that restricts the right to access public spaces. We support a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate. We will combat LGBT youth homelessness and improve school climates. We will support LGBT elders, ensure access to necessary health care, and protect LGBT people from violence— including ending the crisis of violence against transgender Americans. We will also promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people around the world.[9]

| ”

|
|

—2016 Democratic Party Platform[10]

## Recent news[edit]

This section links to a Google news search for the term Hillary + Clinton + Religious + Freedom + Restoration + Act

Hillary Clinton RFRA News Feed

## See also[edit]

* Hillary Clinton
* Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ CNN, "Hillary Clinton launches second presidential bid," April 12, 2015
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Indiana General Assembly, "Senate Bill 101," accessed April 15, 2015
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Reuters, "Indiana governor signs religious freedom bill that could affect gays," March 26, 2015
4. ↑ CBS Chicago, "New Indiana ‘Religious Liberty’ Law Could Legalize Discrimination Against Gay People, Opponents Say," March 26, 2015
5. ↑ Indiana.gov, "Senate Enrolled Act No. 50," accessed April 17, 2015
6. ↑ Indiana.gov, "Actions for Senate Bill 50," accessed April 17, 2015
7. ↑ NCSL.org, "State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts," accessed April 17, 2015
8. ↑ Twitter, "Hillary Clinton," March 26, 2015
9. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
10. ↑ Democratic Party, "The 2016 Democratic Party Platform," accessed August 25, 2016

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