December 17, 2014 10:27 AM

Liberal groups look for religious allies in battles over faith

“We really need that voice of faith, people who will speak out on how faith isn’t supposed to be used as a weapon.”

WASHINGTON DC – A new alliance of progressive groups is trying to figure out the best ways to minimize the impact of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because, they believe, it is used too often to discriminate. At an inaugural conference this past weekend, those allied organizations traded advice on how to approach the sensitive topic at the state level.

Congress passed its own Religious Freedom Act with bipartisan support back in 1993. Texas has its own version, which has been used to justify zoning practices, stop students from using RFID trackers and shape various city codes. Supporters call the measure a protection of religious freedom. Opponents typically refer to the measure as “a license to discriminate.”

The breakfast panel at the State Innovation Exchange, known as SiX, was intended to provide pointers to progressive lawmakers on how to contain the act’s impact.

Ilyse Hogue of NARAL said conservatives too often equate junk science with true facts. She also took aim at a system that allows pharmacists to refuse to dispense birth control pills. Too often, the choice is a platform for the pharmacist to shame the girl making the request, Hogue told the audience.

By Kimberly Reeves