CV NEWS FEED // Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an act on April 2 that prohibits government action from “substantially burdening” or infringing on Iowans’ religious freedom rights without sufficient reason.
“State action shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the government demonstrates that applying the burden to that person’s exercise of religion is in furtherance of a compelling goverment interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest,” the law, known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, states.
The act further allows Iowans to go to court if they feel their religious freedom rights have been violated by any state action. The court will still determine legal standing for the complaint based on state and federal law.
“Thirty years ago, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed almost unanimously at the federal level,” Reynolds stated in a news release. “Since then, religious rights have increasingly come under attack. Today, Iowa enacts a law to protect these unalienable rights—just as twenty-six other states have done—upholding the ideals that are the very foundation of our country.”
The Des Moines Register reported that the act was supported by Republicans, but that Democrats and LGBT advocates felt the bill will allow people to “weaponize” their religious beliefs and discriminate against LGBT-identifying individuals.
“There’s no denying it: this bill is aimed at discriminating against LGBTQ+ Iowans, single parents, people needing reproductive health care services and many more,” Courtney Reyes, executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group One Iowa Action, said in a statement.
According to Iowa Public Radio, Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) praised Reynolds for signing the Act.
“This law provides a sensible balancing test for courts to use when reviewing government policies that infringe upon the religious freedom rights of Iowans,” ADF attorney Greg Chafuen said, according to Iowa Public Radio.
“The law doesn’t determine who will win every disagreement, but it does ensure that every Iowan—regardless of their religious creed or political power—receives fair hearing when government action forces a person to violate his or her religious beliefs,” he added.
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