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After his bill was shut down in the house 10-2, Bobby Jindal issued an executive order to instate his religious freedom bill.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order that will “accomplish the intent of HB 707,” he said in a recent statement. This step is necessary because the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee voted the governor’s version of a religious freedom bill down by a count of 10-2, The Times-Picayune reports.
The action comes as Gov. Jindal is spending time in Iowa weighing the pros and cons of a potential 2016 Presidential run.
The Governor states that such an order is necessary to prevent the government from pulling tax exempt status from companies or to prevent companies from altering a person’s job status based on their views of same sex marriage, amongst other actions. Jindal also said that the bill is about protecting First Amendment Rights, not discrimination.
Opponents of the bill, which include LGBT rights groups and some legal experts, say that its passage would allow businesses to ignore and deny the rights of married same-sex couples, if same-sex marriage were to become legal in Louisiana.
Those opposed to the religious freedom bill also said that its passage could prevent the state from attracting large, revenue and tourism-driving events such as the Super Bowl and other popular college sport championships.
Governor Jindal and other proponents of the bill say that a misinterpretation of its intentions also led to claims that it would be more difficult to attract workers to move in from other parts of the country.
But the opponents volleyed back, stating that Jindal’s Louisiana state executive order was more of an advertisement of his national views as he continues to explore his 2016 Presidential hopes.
The policies put forth by the executive order must be followed by the legislators in the state of Louisiana, even those it is technically not a law. The active debate follows a similar situation in Indiana earlier this year.