At the center of the debate over the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is the possibility of a gulf between its stated intent and its practical impact.
Governor Mike Pence and his supporters maintain the bill protects religious freedom by establishing a judicial test that courts must use to decide when government can infringe on a person's religious beliefs and practices.
Opponents say it opens the door to legal discrimination, particularly against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. A growing backlash on a local and national level came to a head this weekend.
Reactions At The National Level
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who announced he was gay last year, tweeted Friday about the bill:
On Sunday The Washington Times published an op-ed from Cook, in which he criticizes RFRA and acknowledges it as part of a growing national trend.
"These bills rationalize injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear," Cook writes. "They go against the very principles our nation was founded on, and they have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality."
"Saturday Night Live" led its news satire segment Weekend Update with a joke about the controversy.
"You'll be able to tell which stores are supporting the new law," comedian Colin Jost says, "because they'll have these helpful little signs."
The punchline – an image of a "Going out of business!" sign.
Gov. Pence is now on a mission to clarify the bill, appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.
"We're not going to change the law," Pence said, "but if the general assembly in Indiana sends me a bill that adds a section that reiterates and amplifies and clarifies what the law really is and what it has been for the last 20 years, then I'm open to that."
When asked numerous times if the bill could lead to any legally defensible discrimination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, Pence refused to answer, only restating the intent behind the bill. He also noted that former President Bill Clinton and then Illinois Senator Barack Obama both supported similar legislation.
Pence did say he does not support adding protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation to the state's civil rights statute.
Indiana's Higher Education Speaks Out
Indiana University President Michael McRobbie released a statement on RFRA Sunday, saying he hopes the controversy it sparked will encourage the state to reconsider the bill:
...the damage already done to Indiana's reputation is such that all public officials and public institutions in our state need to reaffirm our absolute commitment to the Hoosier values of fair treatment and non-discrimination.
Three other university presidents have commented – Butler President James Danko, DePauw University President Brian Casey and Ball State President Paul Ferguson – both in opposition of the bill.
Purdue University also released a statement on RFRA saying they stand by their university-wide policy on nondiscrimination.
But, while Purdue reiterated their stance on discrimination within the University, they have not yet come out either opposed or in favor of RFRA as a law.
In The State's Capital
Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, authored an amendment to RFRA emphasizing that preventing discrimination would be a legitimate reason the government could infringe on someone's religious beliefs.
House Republicans dismissed that amendment. But DeLaney says after the firestorm of criticism that's erupted over RFRA, introducing language similar to his in an attempt to "clarify" the law isn't enough.
"Our people need a strong statement against discrimination if we're going to get our state back on the proper economic keel," DeLaney says.
In the wake of RFRA's impact, AFSCME's women's conference has pulled out of Indianapolis. According to their website, the scheduled conference will be moved from Indiana to another state, sill unspecified.
"AFSCME is pulling our Women's Conference out of Indiana this fall as a sign of our disgust and disappointment with Governor Pence's discriminatory law," a statement from the national organization's president reads.
According to WISH-TV, in Indianapolis Monday, Mayor Greg Ballard announced he will sign an executive order requiring anyone doing business with the city to abide by Indianapolis' human rights ordinance.
"For those traveling here for the Final Four, let me be clear: Indy welcomes all," Ballard said at a press conference.
Indiana Public Broadcasting's Brandon Smith and Casey Kuhn contributed to this report.
