Montana House narrowly defeats 'religious freedom' bill

Rep. Roy Hollandsworth voted no. Reps. Mike Lang, Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, and G. Bruce Meyers, R=Box Elder

HELENA (AP) — The Montana Legislature turned away a proposed referendum Friday that if enacted by voters would have given people grounds to disobey any state laws that violate their religion.

After a heated floor debate that moved the bill sponsor to raise his camouflaged Bible, state representatives failed to pass House Bill 615 on a 50-50 vote. The bill resembles a recent Indiana law that allows open discrimination for the sake of "religious freedom."

Opponents said the bill language was so vague that it would have allowed any business, church or individual to openly discriminate and violate laws.

Supporters said the measure would have brought to the state level a 1993 federal law aimed at preventing legislation that substantially burdens a person's right to exercise religion.

When he presented the proposal Wednesday, Republican Rep. Carl Glimm of Kila said he intended for the bill to prioritize people's "sincerely held religious belief" above job descriptions. He and other supporters said it would allow county clerks to refuse marriage licenses to gay people and let pharmacists refuse to fill birth control prescriptions if they felt it would inhibit their religious practice.

Representatives chatting on the edges of the House floor hushed when Democratic Rep. Christopher Pope looked across the aisle and said there has been plenty of testimony to enlighten anyone wondering why the bill offends so many people.

"If it was unintended, please know that this particular bill is causing a great deal of pain and suffering in this room at a quarter of five," Pope said. "And if this bill leaves this House it will create a tremendous amount of unintended pain and suffering in the state of Montana."