Louisiana Governor Decrees Enforcement of Religious Freedom Despite Legislature Setback

The governor of Louisiana has issued an executive order enforcing religious freedom in the state after the state legislature failed to pass a bill that would allow business establishments to discriminate against same-sex couples.

"In Louisiana, the state should not be able to take adverse action against a person for their belief in traditional marriage," Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a statement. "That's why I'm issuing an Executive Order to prevent the state from discriminating against people, charities and family-owned businesses with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman."

Despite the executive order, Jindal insisted that "we don't support discrimination in Louisiana and we do support religious liberty. These two values can be upheld at the same time."

Executive Order BJ 2014-8 mandates that "government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a facially neutral rule or a rule of general applicability, unless it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person is both: (1) In furtherance of a compelling governmental interest (2) The least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest."

Immediately after Jindal issued the order, New York State Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell, who is openly gay, called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban non-essential state-funded travel to Louisiana.

"It's time to instate a travel ban on Louisiana. Following the failure of legislation there that would have enabled state-sponsored discrimination against LGBT citizens under the guise of religious freedom, Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order seeking the same despicable ends as the bill," he said.

O'Donnell praised Cuomo for banning non-essential state travel to Indiana when its legislature passed a similar law that he said targeted LGBT citizens.

"I ask that you take this step again and ban non-essential state travel to Louisiana. Our state's employees should not be put in a situation where they can be legally discriminated against or made to feel unsafe, and our state must not support Governor Jindal's campaign against LGBT individuals," he said.

Jindal defended his order, saying, "As long as I'm Governor, we will fight to protect religious liberty and not apologize for it."