A "religious freedom" bill was introduced to the Missouri state Senate on Tuesday, similar to the one under watch in Arizona and already receiving heavy backlash, KSHB-TV reported.
State Sen. Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau put forth Senate Bill 916 and told the Kansas City Star it is meant to "protect Missourians from attacks on their religious freedom."
The legislation, essentially a copy of Senate Bill 1062 in Arizona, is not being taking lightly by LGBT advocates who claim it's a cloak for discrimination.
"If I as a gay man want to go into a restaurant, you shouldn't be able to tell me that I can't go there because of who I go home to at night," said Caleb-Michael Files, Director of Equality Missouri Campaign. "Yes, it affects the LGBT community, but it's a discrimination bill for everybody."
According to KSHB, Wallingford has not returned calls for comment.
Dale Neuman, director of the Harry S. Truman Center for Government Affairs, told KSHB on Tuesday that he doesn't believe the bill will be enacted.
"Those who believe in its purpose, it's basically a religious freedom bill. Those who believe it's a subterfuge, it's a license to discriminate," Neuman said. "This kind of issue becomes a symbolic issue that has no price other than the time of the people who debate it."
Neuman added the legislation was probably introduced to generate support and get Wallingford's name out there.
"Symbolic legislation is something that members of legislatures like to do because they get headlines, they get publicity, they don't have to engage in intense debate and they don't have to shift money around."
