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Indiana legislators plan to 'clarify' religious law seen as discriminatory

By Andrew V. Pestano and Danielle Haynes
Indiana Governor Mike Pence says he would welcome language from lawmakers clarifying a religious freedom law critics say is discriminatory against the LGBT community. Indiana legislators on Monday said they intend to work on a fix to the law. File photo by John Angelillo
Indiana Governor Mike Pence says he would welcome language from lawmakers clarifying a religious freedom law critics say is discriminatory against the LGBT community. Indiana legislators on Monday said they intend to work on a fix to the law. File photo by John Angelillo | License Photo

HARTFORD, Conn., March 30 (UPI) -- Top Indiana legislators said Monday they intend to make amendments to the state's newly signed law that could be used to discriminate against the LGBT community.

The controversial legislation was signed into law last week by Republican Gov. Mike Pence and was immediately met with backlash from businesses, and local and state governments outside of Indiana. Critics of the law say it allows Indiana businesses the legal right to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender customers citing their religious beliefs.

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Pence said this weekend that despite the criticism, he has no intention of changing the law, but would welcome any language from lawmakers to clarify its meaning.

The state legislature's top two lawmakers -- Republicans David Long, senate president pro tempore, and Brian Bosma, house speaker -- on Monday said that because the law isn't intended discriminate against the LGBT, legislators are working fix it.

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"To the extent that we need to clarify through legislative action that this law does not and will not be allowed to discriminate against anyone, we plan to do just that," Long said.

"What we had hoped for with the bill was a message of inclusion -- inclusion of all religious beliefs," Bosma said. "What instead has come out is a message of exclusion and that was not the intent and hopefully not the effect. But to the extent that it is we are intent on righting that."

Despite Indiana Republicans seemingly trying to soften the blow that the law has landed, possible GOP presidential hopefuls have expressed their support for the legislation.

Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum and Ben Carson have all come out to support the law's intention.

"Gov. Pence has done the right thing," Bush said. "This is simply allowing people of faith space to be able to express their beliefs -- to be able to be people of conscience," Bush said. "I think once the facts are established, people aren't going to see this as discriminatory at all."

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Santorum tweeted that he stands with Pence "in defense of religious liberty and real tolerance."

Meanwhile, a host of companies and political leaders have joined a growing list boycotting sending their business and money to the state of Indiana.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Monday announced he will sign an executive order over state-funded travel to Indiana to protest the law.

"Because of Indiana's new law, later today I will sign an Executive Order regarding state-funded travel," the Democrat governor tweeted.

Malloy joins other critics such as San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, who on Thursday banned all publicly-funded city employee travel to Indiana.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray also said he intends to sign an executive order this week to ban city-funded travel to the state.

"Laws that say you can discriminate have no place in this country," he said.

Other notable critics include Angie's List, which halted the expansion of their headquarters in Indiana after the passage of the "religious freedom" law for fear of LGBT discrimination.

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Tech firm, Salesforce.com founder and CEO Marc Benioff, announced on Twitter the company is canceling all programs requiring customers and employees to be sent to Indiana, while gaming convention Gen Con threatened to pull out of holding its event in the state should the legislation be signed, but ultimately decided to remain based in Indianapolis.

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