FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2017
Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller is warning that the Texas House’s approval of HB3859 on second reading today would open the door to broad discrimination by child welfare service providers that contract with the state. The House must give final approval on third reading before sending it to the Senate.
Following is Miller’s statement:
“Let’s be absolutely clear about what the Texas House voted for today. If it becomes law, HB3589 would allow extraordinary discrimination in the name of Texas and at taxpayer expense. The bill’s clear intent is to authorize the misuse of religion as a license to discriminate against LGBT families and children in the state’s child-welfare system. But it doesn’t stop there. Providers could discriminate against people of other faiths and even block access to emergency contraception for teens who are victims of sexual assault. Even President Trump backed away from using religion as a license to discriminate so broadly and recklessly, but today the Texas House shamefully demonstrated that it has no problem with doing so.”
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The Texas Freedom Network is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization of religious and community leaders who support religious freedom, individual liberties and public education.
