Bill to allow Kentuckians to sue governments for violating religious rights passes committee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Critics of a bill to protect Kentuckians religious liberties say the bill could actually allow religious discrimination.

Senate Bill 60 passed in committee in Frankfort Thursday.

The bill's sponsors said it further protects religious freedoms and would allow Kentuckians to sue government agencies if their religious rights have been violated.

But several critics of the bill spoke against it, including the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville Rabbi and a UofL law professor.

Those critics say the bill would allow people to use religion to defy anti-discrimination laws like fairness ordinances.

"If you are convinced that we in Kentucky are in need of more robust religious freedom protections, I implore you to add language to this bill that will explicitly state that it does not apply where religious freedom could harm others," said Rabbi Ben Freed, of Keneseth Synagogue in Louisville.

"We've had a religious freedom restoration act in the United States at the federal level since 1993 and so many of these hypothesis, these hypotheticals, these examples that are meant to scare us have not come about."

The bill now goes to the full senate for discussion. To view the bill, click here.

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