ST. PAUL, MN – Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature on Monday intensified their efforts to address an issue related to religious freedom. Democrats then put that project on indefinite hold.
The afternoon started with a press conference where dozens of religious leaders from around the state joined Republicans in calling for religious freedom to be restored in the Minnesota Human Rights Act, protecting religious organizations and faith-based schools against claims of gender identity discrimination.
Shortly thereafter, Democrats tabled a House Republican motion to bring forward legislation that would reinstate these protections into state law. It was the third time this session Democrats had at least temporarily blocked a Republican attempt at restoring religious freedom language to the HRA, following committee votes in both the House and Senate.
“Religious freedom was the foundational, bedrock principle on which our nation was built,” said State Representative Mike Wiener, R-Long Prairie. “The complete disregard of the First Amendment by Minnesota Democrats has been eye-opening and extremely concerning. No matter what religion you practice, the state must not be allowed to compel churches, mosques, synagogues, or any other religious institution to adhere to the government’s definition of gender identity.”
Background:
Before last year, when gender identity was included (or subsumed) within the MHRA definition of sexual orientation, the still-existing religious exemption for sexual orientation covered gender identity claims as well. When a new, separate definition of gender identity was created last year, there was no corresponding religious exemption added. This issue caused alarm among Minnesota’s faith community and House Republicans worked with religious leaders to craft H.F. 3926, which ensures religious organizations and faith-based schools can operate in ways consistent with their mission and values.
It remains unclear when – or if – Democrats in the majority will allow the House to revisit that bill.
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