Conservative leaders sign petition asking Trump to sign executive order on religious freedom

Over 100 conservative leaders have affixed their signatures to a letter that calls on President Donald Trump to sign an executive order that would protect the religious freedom of business owners and individuals who want to uphold their religious beliefs about marriage and sexuality.

In early February, a draft copy of an executive order titled "Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom" was leaked to the media. The White House said at the time that the leaked copy was just one of hundreds of draft orders in circulation and that the administration has no immediate plans to issue such an order.

However, Ken Blackwell, who served as the domestic policy chair of Trump's transition team, has indicated that the executive order on religious freedom is being redrafted. He told the Huffington Post that one of the lawyers working on the order is Ken Klukowski, the former director of Family Research Council's (FRC) Center for Religious Liberty.

On Wednesday, the Council for National Policy, a coalition of social conservative activists under the leadership of FRC President Tony Perkins, sent a letter asking Trump to sign the order.

"You are doing something rare in American politics. You are fulfilling campaign promises. We thank you, especially for the steps you have already taken in your young administration to uphold our First Freedom, the freedom of religion," the letter read, according to The Christian Post.

"We are writing to ask that you continue these efforts to defend religious freedom by issuing an executive order protecting the practical exercise of religious freedom," it continued.

The letter explained that several policies and mandates implemented by the Obama administration had devastating effects on the First Amendment rights of Americans and charitable religious institutions.

It noted that The Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious groups have been forced to choose between violating deeply held beliefs or paying heavy fines under the HHS contraceptive mandate.

The letter also cited the case of Barronelle Stutzman, who was found to be in violation of Washington state's anti-discrimination law after she declined to create floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding in 2013.

"We urge you to take action to ensure their freedom to believe and live out those beliefs is protected from government punishment," the letter stated. "We, in the conservative movement, stand ready to assist you in your efforts to protect and uphold the freedom of religion in America," it added.