Friday, March 29, 2024

ACLU Goes After Jindal For Protecting Believers

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

Just a few days after formally announcing it now opposes religious liberty, the ACLU announced a lawsuit going after Gov. Bobby Jindal for signing an executive order protecting conscience rights for traditional believers on the marriage question:

The ACLU argues that Jindal’s action amounts to executive overreach that privileges those who share his opposition to same-sex marriage.

…The suit echoes accusations that the executive order sanctions discrimination and warns that businesses would be allowed to refuse services to same-sex couples.

It also specifically pans Jindal for allegedly making the issue political, noting his presidential ambitions.

“It has not gone unnoticed that Governor Jindal not only issued his ‘Marriage and Conscience Order’ just hours after the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee voted not to advance an identical bill, but also one day after announcing an exploratory committee to prepare for a presidential run,” the lawsuit says.

Jindal fired back, noting that the ACLU’s advocacy has been inconsistent:

“The ACLU used to defend civil liberties, now it appears they attack them,” he said in a statement to The Times-Picayune.

“The Left likes to pick and choose which liberties they support at any given time, and it seems to me that religious liberty has fallen out of favor with them.”

To date, Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham have cosponsored the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which seeks to prevent coercion and discrimination by government against supporters of our classic marriage tradition.  It specifically protects the 501(c)(3) status of Christian schools and para-church ministries.

Will other GOP candidates stand for FADA and freedom?  Equally importantly, will the media and the voters ask Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates where they stand on stripping traditional believers of nonprofit status?

Nick Arnold is a researcher for American Principles in Action.

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