Gov. Brian Kemp signed controversial religious freedom legislation on Friday aimed at preventing government intrusion into Georgians’ rights to exercise their religious beliefs.
The General Assembly’s Republican majorities passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Wednesday, primarily along party lines. The bill closely mirrors a federal RFRA law passed by Congress in 1993. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal law only applied to the federal government, prompting Georgia lawmakers to push for a state-level version for years.
Legislative Democrats opposed the bill, arguing it could be used to discriminate against non-Christians and LGBTQ Georgians. Republicans defended the measure, saying it applies only to actions by state and local governments—not private individuals acting against other private citizens.
