By Kristen Inbody
HELENA – The Montana House killed with a 50-50 vote (click here) a bill that aimed to put before the voters a constitutional referendum supporters said protected religious freedom and opponents said paved the way for discrimination.
Sponsor Rep. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, said his House Bill 615 echoes the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, adopted in 1993. He called his bill an "exclamation point" on religious freedoms already in the national and state constitutions.
Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, asked his fellow legislators how many times they have ever had to consider how close they sat next to their significant other out of fear it would change the way people treated them — or even whether they would be served.
"I could be refused service because of who I love or fired from my job if I put a picture of my partner on my desk," he said. "I could be kicked out of my home because of someone's religious views."...
