Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Says He ‘Could Have Handled’ Religious Freedom Law Better - East Idaho News
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Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Says He ‘Could Have Handled’ Religious Freedom Law Better

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ABC gov mike pence jtm 150331 33x16 992?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1427819481781ABC News(INDIANAPOLIS) — “This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples. I could have handled that better this week,” he said.

Pence said that he has been working with state legislators and businesses “literally around the clock” to work through the controversy, saying that discrimination was never part of his plan.

“I don’t believe for a minute that it was the intention of the general assembly…it certainly wasn’t my intent but I can appreciate that that’s become the perception…and we need to confront that and we need to confront that boldly,” he said.

“As I said we’ve got a perception problem here…and we intend to correct that,” Pence added.

He slammed “gross mischaracterizations about the bill” and the smeared reputations of Hoosiers as a result of the backlash.

“We want to make it clear that Indiana is open for business, we want to make it clear that Hoosier hospitality is not a slogan it’s a way of life,” he said.

“The things that have been said about our state have been at times deeply offensive to me and I will continue to use every effort to defend the good and decent people of Indiana,” Pence added.

The controversial law — called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — was signed by Pence last week and prompted national outcry from human rights groups and businesses, though a number of likely Republican presidential candidates have all come out in support of the law.

“It’s been a tough week here in the Hoosier state but we’re going to move forward,” he said Tuesday.

religious freedom us map 3 150330 4x3 992?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1427815890409National Conference of State Legislatures/ABC News

Pence told ABC News this weekend that he would not be adding sexual orientation as a protected class in any amendment to the law. He specifically referenced the This Week appearance during Tuesday’s press conference, saying that “going into that interview this weekend I was just determined to set the record.”

He has followed that interview up with an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal and a news appearance this morning where he adamantly stated that he stands by the law.

The clarification on the Indiana law comes just as another state is expected to pass a similar bill.

Arkansas’s state House of Representatives has already passed a “religious freedom” bull but their Senate added some amendments which will be voted on Tuesday. If the bill passes, it will be sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s desk and he has already said he will sign it.

The Arkansas bill, called House Bill 1228, allows businesses and individuals to refuse service to individuals based on their religious beliefs.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, aside from Indiana and Arkansas there are 10 other states with similar bills in the works and 19 states already have similar laws in place.


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