Indiana, Arkansas, and other 'religious freedom' laws: Trouble for the GOP
The governors of Indiana and Arkansas 鈥� Republicans Mike Pence and Asa Hutchinson 鈥� likely are spending Easter weekend wondering what they might have done to avert the adverse political wave that rolled them over this past week.
It was worse for Indiana鈥檚 Gov. Pence, who had to backtrack on the 鈥淩eligious Freedom Restoration Act鈥� he鈥檇 just signed, calling on state legislators to 鈥渃larify鈥� the law so that it no longer so obviously allowed for discrimination of gays and lesbians.
Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson, learning from Pence鈥檚 experience, quickly said he鈥檇 veto that state鈥檚 RFRA bill unless lawmakers wrote in that same clarification. That his own son had signed a petition against the bill no doubt got his attention.
"The issue has become divisive because our nation remains split on how to balance the diversity of our culture with the traditions and firmly held religious convictions," Hutchison said at a press conference. "It has divided families, and there is clearly a generational gap on this issue. My son Seth signed the petition asking me, Dad, the governor, to veto this bill."
That generational gap was a clear point former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made Friday in a Washington Post op-ed column excoriating his own Republican Party on the issue.
"As an American, I鈥檓 incredibly concerned about聽what happened in Indiana this week聽and the聽threat of similar laws聽being passed in other states,鈥� . 鈥淎s a Republican, I鈥檓 furious.鈥�
鈥淚 know plenty of Republicans who are sensible and driven to solve problems for America. They believe in Reagan鈥檚 vision of a big tent where everyone is welcome. This message isn鈥檛 for them,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚t is for Republicans who choose the politics of division over policies that improve the lives of all of us. It is for Republicans who have decided to neglect the next generation of voters. It is for Republicans who are fighting for laws that fly in the face of equality and freedom.鈥�
"There are so many real problems that need solving. But distracting, divisive laws like the one Indiana initially passed aren鈥檛 just bad for the country, they鈥檙e also bad for our party,鈥� Schwarzenegger continued.聽鈥淚n California, the GOP has seen the danger of focusing on the wrong issues. In 2007, Republicans made up nearly 35 percent of our registered voters. By 2009, our聽share dropped聽to 31 percent, and聽today, it is a measly 28 percent. That sharp drop started just after the divisive battle over Proposition 8 [which banned same-sex marriage]. Maybe that鈥檚 a coincidence, but there is no question that our party is losing touch with our voters, especially with the younger ones who are growing the registration rolls.鈥�
(In 2013, the United States Supreme Court effectively killed Prop. 8.)
The struggle to balance religious freedoms with civil and personal rights continues in other states, where local and national businesses have become major players.
In Georgia, the Coca-Cola Company (which is based in Atlanta) took a firm stand against that state鈥檚 RFRA.
鈥淐oca-Cola does not support any legislation that discriminates, in our home state of Georgia or anywhere else,鈥� Coke said in a statement. 鈥淐oca-Cola values and celebrates diversity. We believe policies that would allow a business to refuse service to an individual based upon discrimination of any kind, does not only violate our Company's core values, but would also negatively affect our consumers, customers, suppliers, bottling partners and associates.鈥�
Social media have been alight with comment 鈥� most all of it critical of various RFRA proposals.
Politics may have exploded over the issue, but the pro-gay-marriage wave in recent years seems to be accelerating. (Same-sex marriage now is legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia; more than 60 percent of Republican Millennials support gay marriage, including 43 percent of evangelical Millennials).
As Govs. Pence and Hutchinson found out 鈥� and as former governor Schwarzenegger warns 鈥� it鈥檚 become a very teachable moment for the GOP.
鈥淣ow you have a situation in which there鈥檚 a much steeper price for Republican lawmakers who take action to motivate their base on this issue,鈥� Republican strategist John Ullyot told the Monitor鈥檚 Harry Buinius the other day. 鈥淎ny position that is seen as intolerant for LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] people 鈥� now that鈥檚 a turn off for many swing voters, for many in the center, and for many moderate Republicans.鈥�
