Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal plans 'religious freedom' executive order

BATON ROUGE, La., May 19 (UPI) -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday said he will issue an executive order enforcing the intent of a dead bill that would provide protection to people opposing same-sex marriage on religious grounds.

Jindal's order came Tuesday evening just hours after the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee effectively killed the religious freedom bill.

"We are disappointed by the committee's action to return the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act to the calendar," Jindal said in a statement. "We will be issuing an executive order shortly that will accomplish the intent of HB 707 to prevent the state from discriminating against persons or entities with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman. 

"This executive order will prohibit the state from denying or revoking a tax exemption, tax deduction, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, professional license, certification, accreditation or employment on the basis the person acts in accordance with a religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman."

The executive order is similar to controversial laws passed earlier this year in Arkansas and Indiana. Both of those laws were rewritten in response to backlash that they allowed business owners to discriminate against LGBT customers. Critics say they should be eliminated altogether.

A joint statement from Equality Louisiana and Louisiana Progress Action called Jindal's moves "shameful."

"In his time in Iowa, he may have forgotten what everyday Louisianians value, but the testimony today against HB 707 should have reminded him. Discrimination is not a Louisiana value," the statement said.

"Gov. Jindal is clearly trying to leave the biggest mess possible, as he readies himself to spend even less time in Louisiana and to launch his presidential campaign. In the end, his extreme ideology is only making the state a worse place for those of us who actually plan to live here past his last day in office."

Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican who sponsored the original religious freedom legislation, said he supported Jindal's order.

"There's never a convenient time to stand up for liberty," he said after the bill died. "This issue's not going away, though."