Debate Over Indiana’s Religious Freedom Bill Enters Virginia House Race

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Debate Over Indiana’s Religious Freedom Bill Enters Virginia House Race

Posted by Jeanine Martin Date: April 02, 2015

Delegate Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) is defending Indiana’s Religious Freedom Bill while his Democratic opponent, Don Shaw, calls the law “offensive”. Delegate Marshall said the law in Indiana is the same law we passed in Virginia years ago.

“Virginia has the same law. We passed it in 2007. The sky did not fall!” Marshall wrote in a letter to the Indianapolis Star.

Delegate Marshall wrote the letter in response to Governor McAuliffe’s letter to the same newspaper encouraging Indiana businesses to relocate to Virginia because we offer an “open, inclusive and thriving business environment.”

Democratic challenger Don Shaw said he is running for delegate in part to support laws to protect people like his son who are gay.

Debate over ‘religious freedom’ bills becomes an issue in Va. House race

Virginia Politics
By Jenna Portnoy April 1
@jennaportnoy

RICHMOND — The national firestorm over an Indiana law that some say legalizes discrimination against gay and lesbian people has spilled over into a Virginia House of Delegates race. ... Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) is defending the Indiana law, to the chagrin of his Democratic challenger, Don Shaw, who called the effort “offensive.”
....

Shaw said he is running in part to support laws protecting his 23-year-old son, who is openly gay. ... “Bob Marshall wants to basically allow people to discriminate against my son and I don’t think that’s right,” he said. “I want to live in a robust and thriving Virginia economy and I believe Bob Marshall is doing everything he can do to prevent that.”

In an interview, Marshall, acknowledged that Virginia and Indiana’s laws are not identical, but said, “you can’t fault” Indiana for updating its law to reflect the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case. The 2014 ruling said some businesses do not have to offer contraceptive coverage that conflicts with the owners’ religious beliefs.

During the recent legislative session, Marshall introduced two bills that Shaw said mirror the Indiana law.