ST. PAUL– State Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar, said Republicans have taken a major step toward restoring religious freedom which Minnesota Democrats stripped from faith-based organizations last year.
Last week, the House of Representatives approved legislation pertaining to the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) to re-establish protections for religious entities against discrimination claims. The bill unanimously passed the Senate as well and it is now on Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for enactment.
“Last week’s vote was the result of hard work from the faith community and Minnesotans who value the foundational values that our nation was founded on,” said Baker. “While it took longer than it needed to for this legislative fix to take place, I am nevertheless happy to see that we were able to come together on a bipartisan basis to get this done. This is a good day for religious liberty in Minnesota.”
Baker said this move was necessary due to MHRA legislation that Democrats enacted in 2023, that stripped religious protections that had been in place since 1993. Up until recently, the MHRA included an exemption for religious organizations including churches, synagogues, and faith-based schools to, among other things, hire teachers and ministers consistent with their mission and values.
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