First Georgia, Now Missouri: Religious Liberty Bill Threatens Business In Show-Me State, Say Observers
Missouri is poised to pass a so-called “religious liberty bill” that supporters say will protect clergy and others from being forced to condone same-sex weddings, while some observers say the bill would drive business away from the Show-Me State, the Washington Post is reporting.
Fresh off the heels of the defeat of a similar “religious liberty bill” in Georgia, Missouri’s senate has already passed a proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 39, that would “[prohibit] the state from imposing penalties on individuals and religious entities who refuse to participate in same sex marriage ceremonies due to sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, applauded the amendment.
“Local and state governments continue to assault the religious rights of men and women who believe marriage is the union of a man and woman. Government has no right to coerce business owners who believe a wedding ceremony is an act of religious worship to provide their services for ceremonies that violate their religious convictions. Penalizing such business owners is a chilling violation of the free exercise of religion. It must stop.”
Despite support from some members of Missouri’s religious community, the proposed religious liberty bill may cost the Show-Me State business, particularly when it comes to sports.
Kansas City Sports Commission President and CEO Kathy Nelson says that the proposed bill would drive sporting events and teams away from Missouri.
“The proposed constitutional amendment will have a detrimental effect on our ability to attract future sports business to Missouri and terminate the millions of dollars of visitor spending our sports industry generates on a yearly basis.”
In Kansas City alone, which is Missouri’s largest city, sporting events account for $51 million in revenue from attendance, concessions, hotel rooms, and the like. That translates to $3 million in Missouri’s tax coffers.
However, some athletic leagues are threatening to re-think using Missouri as a venue for further championship games if the religious liberty bill goes through.
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, for example, made it clear that any law that conflicts with the conference’s own values may not sit well with the league.
“The Big 12 Conference and its member institutions support the rights of all individuals regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. It is acknowledged that elected officials enact laws they believe reflect the desires of their constituents, however, as a Conference we will consider the impact of the Missouri Legislature’s action on current and future Big 12 events within the state.”
Similarly, another athletic conference, the Southeast Conference, expressed concerns about Missouri’s religious liberty bill, via Commissioner Greg Sankey.
“Our conference championship events are an extension of our universities which are places of diversity and opportunity. We are attentive to this legislative matter as we continue our policy of considering numerous factors in determining sites for our championship events.”
In fact, the sports industry also weighed in on Georgia’s now-defeated religious liberty bill; according to this Inquisitr report, the NFL had threatened to deny Atlanta the chance to host a Super Bowl if Georgia’s bill passed. The bill did not pass, although whether or not the NFL’s position on the matter was a factor in that decision.
Do you believe sports leagues are right to pressure Missouri not to pass a religious liberty bill?
[Image via Shutterstock/Katherine Welles]
