Hundreds of people gathered at the Newton County, Ga., courthouse on Aug. 22 to attend a public hearing and express opposition to a local Muslim community’s plans to build a mosque and cemetery outside of Covington.
Most speakers blasted the plan, with some even suggesting the mosque could become a terrorist training camp, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported – yet they insisted they were not motivated by anti-Muslim bias.
Yesterday we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made marriage equality the law of the land. Today we want to remind you that there’s still much work to do.
Georgia Equality will honor Americans United for Separation of Church and State Legislative Director Maggie Garrett at its upcoming Evening For Equality. Garrett will receive the Allen Thornell Political Advancement Award on June 18.
In a statement, Georgia Equality identified Garrett as “the most responsive attorney in reviewing legislative language” they’ve ever worked with and praised her for her diligence and dedication to the First Amendment.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in March vetoed H.B. 757, a so-called “religious freedom” bill that opponents said could have allowed any individual or “faith-based” business, non-profit entity or taxpayer-funded organization to ignore any law that conflicts with their religious beliefs about marriage.
“All it does is it makes sure that the government is not going to punish people of faith,” State Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) told Fox 10, a local TV channel.
It’s no secret that Donald Trump’s candidacy has created a conundrum for the Republican Party. In primary after primary, America’s most famous businessman peels the party’s bloc away from establishment candidates like Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R).
Meanwhile, state legislatures in Georgia and North Carolina just propelled discriminatory bills to the desks of their respective governors – much to the dismay of business communities in both states.
A Georgia group apparently thinks forcing more prayer into public schools will cure all sorts of societal problems.
During a rally yesterday on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol, a group called the Legislative Clergy Council gathered along with a handful of clergy and some students from Morehouse College in support of a student prayer bill.
As state legislatures gather across the country to start their 2016 legislative sessions, Americans United’s Protect Thy Neighbor (PTN) project is gearing up to monitor and fight legislation that would allow individuals, businesses and government employees to harm others in the name of religion.
Officials at a Georgia high school agreed to stop reciting prayers over loudspeakers before football games thanks to a complaint from Americans United, but a new controversy has arisen in the wake of this decision.
West Laurens High School in Dexter agreed to replace its pre-game prayer with a moment of silence. But before a game on Aug. 21, many attendees interrupted the moment of silence by reciting the Lord’s Prayer in unison and then singing “Amazing Grace,” which was played by the school marching band.
When it comes to people refusing to do their jobs on religious grounds, Rowan County, Ky., Clerk Kim Davis is getting all the attention right now. But when her 15 minutes pass, we’ll be left with plenty of private-sector employees who think the First Amendment exempts them from performing any job functions they don’t like.
