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Sponsor Of Ohio’s Religious Freedom Bill Pulls It From Consideration
By: WOUB Staff Writer
Posted on:
Ohio state representative Bill Patmon announced Wednesday that he will be pulling House Bill 376, a religious freedom bill, from consideration by the Ohio House of Representatives. Patmon was listed as a main sponsor on the bill along with Republican representative Timothy Derickson.
Jo Ingles of the Statehouse News Bureau is reporting that Patmon wants more "precise" language in the bill, and that the bill in its current form leaves too many facets up to interpretation.
The pulling of the bill comes as Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is deciding whether to approve or veto a similar law in her state, one that has sparked intense national conversation on discrimination.
Patmon, a democratic representative from Ohio's 10th district, said he still wants to endorse a bill that protects religious freedom but he wants to make sure that it doesn't discriminate.
State Representative Bill Patmon, sponsor of the religious freedom bill, says he is pulling it from consideration by the Ohio House.
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) February 26, 2014
Representative Patmon says the religious freedom bill as written leaves too many things to interpretation. He says he wants precise language
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) February 26, 2014
State Representative Bill Patmon says he still wants a bill to protect religious freedoms but wants to make sure it doesn't discriminate
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) February 26, 2014
Religious freedom bill – Rep Patmon, a black State lawmaker, says "Given who I am, there's no way I can be in favor of discrimination."
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) February 26, 2014