SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Democratic lawmakers in California are mulling what they admit at the outset is a “long shot” bill that might not have a whole lot of real-life impact, but that they hope sends a “sharp and clear message” to other states that discrimination in any way is un-American.
The California proposal comes on the heels of a bill in Texas, written by Republicans, that would give agencies in the Lone Star State that handle adoptions the ability to deny a gay, lesbian, Jewish, or Muslim couple a child. California Republicans have drafted a law in response that would give Californian adoption agencies the right to deny a Christian couple from Texas an adoption, as long as their beliefs are religiously based.
As reported previously by CBS News, Republican state representatives in Texas have drafted a bill they hope becomes law that would allow religious organizations within the state to discriminate against people as long as they claim the discrimination came from deeply held religious beliefs.
Parents seeking to adopt children in Texas could soon be rejected by state-funded or private agencies with religious objections to them being Jewish, Muslim, gay, single, or interfaith couples, under a proposal in the Republican-controlled Legislature. (source)
“How many people from Texas come to California to adopt a baby,” California Democratic State Representative Susan McGee asked reporters at a press conference announcing the bill, “I’m not too sure. But we think some things are worth standing up to and some things are worth fighting for. So if Christian Republicans in Texas want to discriminate against others, it’s only fair that everyone else gets to discriminate against them.”
McGee admits that the bill, should it be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, wouldn’t hold any sway in Texas, but she said sometimes a message is more important than anything else.
“Laws stand for things,” McGee said, “and they represent codified values that we, as a society, supposedly share. If someone from Texas comes to California to adopt a child and take them back to their state, we just want to look out for that kid’s best interests and make sure they’re not going into a religious extremist’s house.”
Rep. McGee insists that no one wants innocent children being herded into cults, and that this law would help prevent children from falling into “one of the most powerful cults in America” and that the cult in question “has zero problems violating people’s civil rights” under the guise of religious freedom.
“Would we just allow a Talib man to come here and adopt a child to take them back to Afghanistan to indoctrinate them into the Taliban,” McGee asked rhetorically.
This is a developing story.
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