Arkansas to Pass Similar "Religious Freedom" Bill

[Content Note: Christian Supremacy.]

Fucking hell:

Amid intense criticism of Indiana's religious liberties law, which has prompted lawmakers in that state to vow to fix the legislation, another state charged ahead with a similar measure. Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday passed their own religious freedom bill, putting the state on the verge of formally adopting a law that could lead to another firestorm.

On Tuesday afternoon, after some debate in the state House of Representatives, lawmakers signed off on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The law now heads to the desk of Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), who has said he intends to sign it into law.

"This legislation doesn't allow anybody to discriminate against anybody, not here," State Rep. Bob Ballinger, a Republican who sponsored the bill, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "The bill does just the opposite. It focuses on the civil rights of people believing what they want to believe, and not letting the government interfere with that."

That is, of course, bullshit. Like Indiana's law (and unlike other states' "religious freedom" laws), Arkansas' legislation grants companies the same rights as individuals to claim religious discrimination based on personal belief.

"It's substantively different from other laws that are on the books in other states, and it's right in line with Indiana's," Adam Talbot, a spokesman for the Human Rights Council, said Monday. "Indiana and Arkansas both grant 'personhood' to all corporations."

I am so sorry, friends in Arkansas.

One of the arguments I heard over and over made by outsiders supporting the boycott of Indiana was that the boycott of my state would stop this from happening elsewhere. Welp. How's that working out for you?

I will reiterate my suggestion not to abandon Indiana, or Arkansas. Arkansas doesn't need progressive divestment any more than Indiana does, and needs progressive investment every bit as much.