Google, Amazon try to stop Texas from passing religious freedom protections
A coalition of business interests is descending on Texas lawmakers to pressure them to abandon several pieces of pending legislation that would protect various professionals in the state from being forced to engage in practices that violate their consciences on issues such as abortion and sexuality. The Texas Legislature is currently considering a handful of religious-freedom bills, the Austin American-Statesman reports. They would bar state licensing agencies from limiting professionals’ ability to act on a “sincerely held religious belief,” let medical professionals refuse to provide non-emergency treatments such as abortions, let Texans choose not to provide goods, services, or participation to same-sex “weddings,” let judges refuse to perform “marriages” that conflict with their religious beliefs, protect businesses’ right to segregate bathrooms based on biological sex, and allow religious groups including university organizations limit hiring, renting, or membership to indi