Ark. Gov. Hutchinson on RFRA: ‘I Ask that Changes Be Made in the Legislation’

i appreciate our legislative ░░░░░░░░ and how they ve ░░░░░░░░ themselves throughout the session ░░░░░░░░ including this process as ░░░░░░░░ knows house bill 1228 ░░░░░░░░ now on my desk ░░░░░░░░ it s time for ░░░░░░░░ to take a look ░░░░░░░░ it and make some ░░░░░░░░ in reference to it ░░░░░░░░ is a bill that ░░░░░░░░ ordinary times would not ░░░░░░░░ controversial but these are ░░░░░░░░ ordinary times this bill ░░░░░░░░ not really complicated the ░░░░░░░░ itself restates the standard ░░░░░░░░ review for the courts ░░░░░░░░ consider in determining First ░░░░░░░░ privileges as weight against ░░░░░░░░ compelling interest of the ░░░░░░░░ that s simply stated ░░░░░░░░ a summary as to ░░░░░░░░ this legislation does it ░░░░░░░░ a balancing test the ░░░░░░░░ itself does not pick ░░░░░░░░ and losers it balances ░░░░░░░░ competing constitutional obligations that ░░░░░░░░ founding fathers gave to ░░░░░░░░ but the issue has ░░░░░░░░ divisive because our nation ░░░░░░░░ split on how to ░░░░░░░░ the diversity of our ░░░░░░░░ with the traditions and ░░░░░░░░ held religious convictions it ░░░░░░░░ divided families and there ░░░░░░░░ clearly a generational gap ░░░░░░░░ this issue my son ░░░░░░░░ signed the petition asking ░░░░░░░░ dad the governor to ░░░░░░░░ this bill and he ░░░░░░░░ me permission to a ░░░░░░░░ that reference and it ░░░░░░░░ that families and there ░░░░░░░░ a generational difference of ░░░░░░░░ on these issues so ░░░░░░░░ are we now in ░░░░░░░░ to this legislation i ░░░░░░░░ asked through this process ░░░░░░░░ our legislative leaders and ░░░░░░░░ that certain changes be ░░░░░░░░ in some instances they ░░░░░░░░ accommodated in change and ░░░░░░░░ instances they said no ░░░░░░░░ s the balance between ░░░░░░░░ executive and the legislative ░░░░░░░░ i certainly respect those ░░░░░░░░ it s been my ░░░░░░░░ all along that house ░░░░░░░░ 1228 the religious freedom ░░░░░░░░ act be crafted in ░░░░░░░░ way that mirrors the ░░░░░░░░ religious freedom and restoration ░░░░░░░░ that was passed in ░░░░░░░░ and signed by President ░░░░░░░░ i came to Congress ░░░░░░░░ that but i sat ░░░░░░░░ t Judiciary Committee and ░░░░░░░░ House of Representatives that ░░░░░░░░ these amendments had hearings ░░░░░░░░ this federal religious freedom ░░░░░░░░ restoration act and so ░░░░░░░░ m somewhat familiar with ░░░░░░░░ and how it s ░░░░░░░░ out across the country ░░░░░░░░ was my intention because ░░░░░░░░ federal law doesn t ░░░░░░░░ state causes of action ░░░░░░░░ we have a similar ░░░░░░░░ in Arkansas but we ░░░░░░░░ to have it crafted ░░░░░░░░ to what is at ░░░░░░░░ federal level to do ░░░░░░░░ though changes needed to ░░░░░░░░ made the bill that ░░░░░░░░ on my desk at ░░░░░░░░ present time does not ░░░░░░░░ mirror the federal law ░░░░░░░░ doesn t mirror it ░░░░░░░░ a couple of ways ░░░░░░░░ allowing the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ be asserted in the ░░░░░░░░ litigation between parties or ░░░░░░░░ reliance upon the state ░░░░░░░░ and those claims therefore ░░░░░░░░ asked that changes be ░░░░░░░░ in the legislation i ░░░░░░░░ asked that the leaders ░░░░░░░░ the general assembly to ░░░░░░░░ the bill so that ░░░░░░░░ can be amended to ░░░░░░░░ the terms of the ░░░░░░░░ religious freedom and restoration ░░░░░░░░ in the alternative it ░░░░░░░░ be simply have some ░░░░░░░░ changes so that those ░░░░░░░░ and changes can be ░░░░░░░░ so recall the legislation ░░░░░░░░ having additional legislation that ░░░░░░░░ accomplish those changes again ░░░░░░░░ is difference between the ░░░░░░░░ Branch the legislative Branch ░░░░░░░░ all have our responsibilities ░░░░░░░░ our different viewpoints my ░░░░░░░░ is to speak out ░░░░░░░░ my own convictions and ░░░░░░░░ do what i can ░░░░░░░░ governor to make sure ░░░░░░░░ bill reflects the values ░░░░░░░░ the people of Arkansas ░░░░░░░░ those of religious conscience ░░░░░░░░ also minimizes the chance ░░░░░░░░ discrimination in the workplace ░░░░░░░░ in the public environment ░░░░░░░░ is important to recognize ░░░░░░░░ the bill currently drafted ░░░░░░░░ not change who we ░░░░░░░░ it does not change ░░░░░░░░ current protections against discrimination ░░░░░░░░ bill simply defines the ░░░░░░░░ to determine the right ░░░░░░░░ but how do we ░░░░░░░░ a state communicate to ░░░░░░░░ world that we are ░░░░░░░░ of diverse workplace and ░░░░░░░░ want to be known ░░░░░░░░ a state that does ░░░░░░░░ discriminate but understands tolerance ░░░░░░░░ is the challenge that ░░░░░░░░ face making this law ░░░░░░░░ the federal law will ░░░░░░░░ us in that effort ░░░░░░░░ communication but also it ░░░░░░░░ my original objective from ░░░░░░░░ beginning another option is ░░░░░░░░ we re looking at ░░░░░░░░ to utilize an executive ░░░░░░░░ which interestingly has not ░░░░░░░░ utilized from my research ░░░░░░░░ the executive Branch in ░░░░░░░░ government in terms of ░░░░░░░░ against discrimination in the ░░░░░░░░ for state government but ░░░░░░░░ re looking at an ░░░░░░░░ order to aid in ░░░░░░░░ communication and make it ░░░░░░░░ that Arkansas wants to ░░░░░░░░ a place of tolerance ░░░░░░░░ want to be a ░░░░░░░░ that has the right ░░░░░░░░ between religious protections and ░░░░░░░░ freedom and nondiscrimination also ░░░░░░░░ think we can be ░░░░░░░░ that this will continue ░░░░░░░░ be a robust debate ░░░░░░░░ the future i understand ░░░░░░░░ ballot title has been ░░░░░░░░ by the attorney general ░░░░░░░░ may put on the ░░░░░░░░ an extension of the ░░░░░░░░ rights protection to additional ░░░░░░░░ of cits of Arkansas ░░░░░░░░ debate will continue and ░░░░░░░░ be determined by the ░░░░░░░░ of this state either ░░░░░░░░ their legislative body or ░░░░░░░░ a vote of the ░░░░░░░░ so this conversation does ░░░░░░░░ end i ve expressed ░░░░░░░░ view to the legislature ░░░░░░░░ is up to them ░░░░░░░░ respond to the request ░░░░░░░░ the governor that changes ░░░░░░░░ made in the current ░░░░░░░░ to make it reflect ░░░░░░░░ federal law that i ░░░░░░░░ sets the right tone ░░░░░░░░ Arkansas and its future ░░░░░░░░ ll look at additional ░░░░░░░░ down the road as ░░░░░░░░ partly depending upon the ░░░░░░░░ that the legislature might ░░░░░░░░