Indiana’s governor backs bill to protect business owners who don’t want to take part in gay ‘weddings’
INDIANAPOLIS, IN , February 11, 2015 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) -- Mike Pence , the Republican governor of Indiana , has come out in favor of a contentious proposal aimed at protecting the religious freedom rights of corporations and their owners. The legislation in question would prohibit state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The bill defines "person" not just as an individual, but also includes religious institutions, corporations, partnerships and associations. Introduced in the aftermath of dozens of messy court battles over Obamacare ’s contraceptive mandate, which culminated in the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision , the bill would also protect business owners and companies who wish to abstain from participating in same-sex “weddings” and other actions that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. In a short speech given to several hundred people at a rally in support of the bill, Gov