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Texas Senate To Protect Religious Rights Of Lawyers, Doctors
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The current legislative session began with a heartbeat bill banning inanticide in the Lone Star State, and is now quickly succeeded by Senate Bill 17, expanding religious licensing exemptions to totally new professional categories.
The proposed legislation will simply prohibit state licensing agencies from adopting rules or policies that limit a professional’s free exercise of religion — including denying or revoking a license for actions taken according to a “sincerely held religious belief.”
Recently, a clerk in a neighboring Bible-belt state of Kentucky was jailed and illegally fined by the courts for refusing to issue gay marriage licenses; her 1st Amendment was made a “teachable moment.”
Sen. Perry’s bill is arguably an extension of the “Texas Privacy Act” passed last session, and is mirrored by the rulings and opinions given by Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton on the sanctity of marriage — specifically the right of state employees to deny gay couples marriage licenses on the basis of “sincerely held religious belief.”
“Living our faith does not stop when we start to work,” Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, the bill’s author, told the Senate State Affairs Committee during a hearing Monday.
Texas Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, introduced companion legislation to Perry’s providing for that individuals may decline to participate in gay marriage ceremonies and refuse to provide goods or services to same-sex couples (cake, comes to mind.)
A dozen clergy members opposed the bill, , including Rabbi Nancy Kasten of Dallas, who said living according to religious beliefs “should never be confused with permission to use faith as a weapon against those who do not share those beliefs.”
John Stuart Mill — a widely referenced 18th Century English phiolosopher — once said, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.” That is the principle animating current legislative efforts to defend religious freedom.
SB 17 is one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top priorities reportedly, and the native Houstonian has a reputation for successful passage of values-based legislation, in spite of past opposition of state House leadership — which is likely to be nonexistent this session.
The special election for Texas’ Senate District 30 is on pace to be one of the most heated races in the Lone Star State.
At a candidate forum on September 18, 2020, Shelley Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was jailed for opening her business in defiance of Governor Greg Abbott’s shutdown order, confronted outgoing State Senator Pat Fallon.
Fallon vacated his seat and is now backing a successor in State Representative Drew Springer.
“We don’t want somebody who’s going to be at odds with our Republican governor,” Fallon said September 18 at the Grayson County Republican Women’s Club.
Fallon added:
I didn’t support some of the things that he has done about opening up. … So, he’s made some mistakes. He’s our Republican governor, the 80/20 rule … because you’re not going to get any bills passed unless the governor signs them.
“Let me make something clear. I am accountable to my fellow citizens in Senate District 30. Not our Governor,” Luther responded on September 19 on Facebook:
This is exactly what is wrong with Austin. Our politicians are more loyal to Abbott than us, even when they disagree with him.
I will work with Governor Abbott when he is fighting to protect the liberty of Texans, and I will oppose him when he pushes unilateral dictates that shut down our local businesses.
Fallon and Luther had a tense exchange, which was caught on video.
“You want me to go all in on this race?” Fallon questioned Luther. “I have been 5 percent in on this race. You want me to go all in on it, I’m welcome to.”
“This has become a straight-up fight between Abbott and the ‘Kumbaya’ Professional Political Class vs. the grassroots and people who remember what limited government and principles should look like,” opined conservative activist Mike Openshaw.
“Respectfully, being willing to be jailed for fighting over-reaching government shows principle; that counts for something, Patrick,” Openshaw continued.
Luther has recently received endorsements from conservative Collin County Judge Chris Hill and Young Conservatives of Texas. Springer, on the other hand, received an endorsement from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which asserted that Luther was going down a “far right” path.
A Republican is expected to carry the senate district, which may still require a runoff if the leading candidate does not get enough votes during the first round of the special election.
Election Day will be on September 29.
Luther is viewed as the truly conservative option and many believe she could help break the political status quo in Austin that has kept conservative legislation from ever being passed.
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