Governor Nathan Deal's comments and leadership on Georgia's pending religious exemption legislation are garnering favorable national headlines. Patricia Murphy, Roll Call columnist and national political reporter for The Daily Beast touted Governor
Governor Nathan Deal's comments and leadership on Georgia's pending religious exemption legislation are garnering favorable national headlines. Patricia Murphy, Roll Call columnist and national political reporter for The Daily Beast touted Governor Deal as an example of Republican leadership. In recapping national political events and the recent debate over the Pastor Protection Act, Murphy wrote:
On Thursday, as the GOP establishment descended into a cauldron of desperation, hypocrisy and chaos, Deal was quietly saving Georgia Republicans from themselves on a contentious bill, championed by Republicans in the legislature, originally called the “Pastor Protection Act."
…After weeks of watching the bill’s progress, Deal spoke out against it Thursday and used the gospel of John to do it.“We do not have a belief, in my way of looking at religion, that says we have to discriminate against anybody,” Deal said. “If you were to apply those standards to the teaching of Jesus, I don’t think they fit.”
Murphy also notes the consequences of similar legislation previously passed in other states and highlights the lengthy list of Georgia corporations who oppose Georgia's bill, as currently written. To that end, she offered a derisive rebuke of state of politics both here and nationally:
Common sense would say any governor would prevent a bill from offending large employers in their own state, but common sense has been taking a vacation from politics lately.
To read the full Roll Call article, click here
