Two States Forwarding Religious Liberty Legislation

Bills that would extend religious freedom protection in Kansas and Kentucky are moving through the states’ legislatures. The House of Representatives in both states passed the bills last week.

In Kansas, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the Kansas Preservation of Religious Liberty Act. The state’s Senate is expected to review the bill in about a month.

The legislation would extend the same strict standard used in federal courts. For example, if a Christian baker in Kansas refused to bake a cake for a same-sex event — this bill would provide a legal basis for them to defend themselves in court.

A similar bill also passed the Kentucky House.

States were covered by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act until the Supreme Court struck down the law’s applicability to state courts in 1997.