JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A proposal aimed at giving religious student groups more control over their membership requirements at Missouri public universities won easy passage Thursday in the state House, despite concerns from opponents that it could legalize discrimination.
The House passed the bill 117-38, sending it on to the Senate. The measure prohibits public colleges from penalizing religious student groups for requiring members or leaders to adhere to the group's religious beliefs or standards of conduct.
Supporters say universities in other states have targeted religious groups under policies that require an organization to accept any student who wants to join, which often means the organizations being disbanded. Public universities in California and Tennessee have revoked the official recognition for some religious student groups.
Rep. Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, said policies requiring "all comers" be accepted as members are popping up around the country.
"These policies are being used for one purpose. They are used to target religious groups," Haahr said.
The bill would not allow universities to defund religious groups for activities or policies that are part of a sincerely held religious belief. Opponents say that has not happened in Missouri and that the measure would allow religious groups to discriminate against people based on gender, race and sexual orientation.
The bill is "trying to tie our universities hands that do get state dollars and forcing them to be discriminatory in their policies," said Rep. Genise Montecillo, D-St. Louis.
One Democratic lawmaker, Rep. John Rizzo of Kansas City, said the bill would protect the Islamic State group or another radical Islamic group if it set up a campus organization at a public university. Republican supporters said that was outlandish and pointed out that inciting violence and recruiting for a terrorist group is illegal.
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, said that the bill was about the First Amendment and religious freedoms.
"It is not the government's business what religious belief a person has or who they allow to join their organization and saying such is in no way an endorsement of repulsive speech," Barnes said.
The bill is HB 104.
Link:
House: http://www.house.mo.gov