Meet the 5 Indiana Republicans who voted against RFRA [View all]

[Liberal_in_LA]

Senate Bill 101 may have signaled "religious freedom" to the vast majority of his Republican peers, but to state Rep. Ed Clere, it said something else entirely.


state Rep. Ed Clere


Indiana Rep. Greg Beumer,


Cindy Kirchhofer


Sean Eberhart


Tom Saunders


"Do we want our sign to say 'Welcome?' " the New Albany Republican said Friday. "Or do we want our sign to say 'Closed for Business?' Or 'Certain people aren't welcome?' Or, as some have suggested, 'We don't accept fill-in-the-blank?' "

Clere is one of just five Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly who bucked their party line and voted "no" on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Four of the five — all members of the Indiana House — spoke to The Star about their votes last week, as Indiana was thrust into a heated national discussion about whether the bill protects religious rights or promotes state-sanctioned intolerance.

Signed into law Thursday by Republican Gov. Mike Pence, RFRA sets up a new litmus test for Indiana courts, prohibiting state or local governments from "substantially burdening" a person's ability to exercise religion, unless the government can meet certain criteria.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/03/30/meet-indiana-republicans-voted-rfra/70568776/