Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law on Friday, April 4th, a move applauded by Republicans and met with strong opposition from opponants.
The legislation aims to prevent government intrusion into Georgians’ rights to exercise their religious beliefs. The bill, Senate Bill 36, passed through the General Assembly on Wednesday, April 2nd, largely along party lines. Kemp defended the legislation, calling it “common-sense” and stating, “Georgians still remain the place where there’s no place for hate.” The RFRA closely resembles the federal law passed by Congress in 1993. While the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal law only applied to the federal government, Georgia lawmakers have been pushing for a state-level version for years.
Opponents argue that the bill could be used to discriminate against non-Christians and LGBTQ+ Georgians. Supporters, however, maintain that the RFRA only applies to actions by state and local governments and does not extend to actions between private citizens. Governor Kemp emphasized that the RFRA builds upon previous legislative efforts to combat discrimination in Georgia, including the hate-crimes law passed following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and a bill aimed at combating antisemitism.
State Senator Ed Setzler, a Republican from Acworth, has been a long-time champion of RFRA, having unsuccessfully pushed for its passage for several years until this year’s successful legislative session.
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