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Governor of Georgia vetoes state’s religious liberty bill

(Source: http://bit.ly/1ogYKIJ License: http://bit.ly/1PpGKT1)

ATLANTA (AP): Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday says he will veto legislation shielding opponents of same-sex marriage, after a groundswell of opposition from companies threatening to boycott the state if it became law.

The Republican announced his decision during a news conference Monday in his office at the Georgia Capitol.

The Republican-sponsored bill was aimed at ensuring that clergy can refuse to perform gay marriages because of religious objections. It would also have allowed churches and affiliated religious groups to decline to serve or hire someone based on their faith.

Deal said he could have supported the bill if it had passed in its original form, but said he had concerns about other versions of the bill.

Overriding a governor’s veto requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the General Assembly. Republicans don’t hold that margin in either the House or Senate. But a chief supporter of the legislation says he will discuss the possibility of a special session with colleagues. The General Assembly has adjourned for the year.

The bill’s opponents said it excused discrimination and could trample local ordinances protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

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