COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — State lawmakers in Ohio withdrew
legislation Wednesday that mirrors an Arizona bill that’s come under
fire for protecting those who assert their religious beliefs in refusing
service to gays.
Republican state Rep. Tim Derickson and
Democratic state Rep. Bill Patmon issued a joint statement citing
concern over the bill’s unintended consequences.
"The intent of
(our bill) was to ensure Ohioans’ religious freedom by protecting their
ability to freely worship and preventing any laws from burdening the
free exercise of religion," their statement said. "However, with the
controversy that is occurring in Arizona, we feel that it is in the best
interest of Ohioans that there be no further consideration of this
legislation."
Debate on the bill has been indefinitely postponed, House Speaker William Batchelder’s office said.
Similar
legislation was passed in Arizona. At issue is a provision protecting
any individual, association or corporation from discrimination lawsuits
if their actions are based on sincerely held religious beliefs.
Detractors say the provision amounts to state-sanctioned discrimination,
while supporters say it’s a relatively minor change to existing law.
Arizona
Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the bill Wednesday night.
The Ohio legislators said the bill they introduced in December wasn’t intended to promote discrimination.

"We want to ensure that no law that we pass in this chamber is misconstrued to be discriminatory in
any way," they said.
FreedomOhio,
the committee behind a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize
same-sex marriage in the state, praised the move.
"I’m relieved to
see Rep. Patmon working to stop this destructive and discriminatory
piece of legislation," said Ian James, the group’s co-founder and
executive director. "Our state already has an unconstitutional marriage
ban in place, depriving loving same-sex couples of the right to be
legally married — the last thing we need is to further marginalize and
attack LGBT Ohioans."
A group of 11 law professors sent to letter
to Brewer on Wednesday seeking to clarify for her the disputed
paragraphs in Arizona’s bill, said Charles Tassell, who represents
Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values Action, which backed
Ohio’s gay marriage ban.
He said his group hopes their legal explanation will also address the concerns of Derickson and Patmon.

"We hope to see a substitute bill brought back with the language now clarified," he said.
Tassell
said the legislation’s legal protections extend to many scenarios,
including, say, protecting a Christian photography business from
capturing images it considers pornographic.
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