Texas weighs bill on denial of services based on faith

By Kubra Chohan

HOUSTON (AA) - Texas lawmakers have been debating a bill that would allow professionals licensed by the state to refuse to provide services based on their religious beliefs, according to reports Tuesday.

Senate Bill 17, introduced by Republican Senator Charles Perry, would offer protection to licensed professionals including real estate agents, lawyers, pharmacists, doctors and barbers when they act according to their faith, according to Newsweek.

A state Senate committee approved the bill in a Monday session, saying the protections were necessary to help licensed professionals defend themselves when they refuse to take actions that would cause a burden according to their religious beliefs, the Austin American-Statesman daily reported.

Perry told the hearing that it was about protecting those who feel the government tries to “punish people of faith” and not about discriminating against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

“Opponents said the bill, and more than a dozen similar measures that have not yet been acted upon, would give religious people, particularly conservative Christians, the power to discriminate against gay, lesbian and transgender people as well as anyone they don’t want to do business with or serve,” wrote the Statesman.

“This law could particularly affect LGBTQ Texans and make them vulnerable to discrimination,” said Kali Cohn, an attorney for the non-profit American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, as quoted by Newsweek.

“I think that we can see all sorts of discrimination. It covers counselors, teachers and people who are certified professionals. It can really create an environment of people to deny others based on someone’s identity, particularly to LGBTQ people,” Cohn said.

The hearing for Senate Bill 17 was the first action of the 2019 legislative session, which will review over a dozen Republican bills that would create faith-based exemptions, the Statesman added.

The Texas House of Representatives has yet to vote on the bill.