Religion Freedom Act advances from committee – Record Bee

SACRAMENTO >> The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Religious Freedom Act (Senate Bill 31) by a vote of 5-0 with two members abstaining. Senate Bill 31 prevents California agencies from sharing data that could be used to compile a federal registry based on religion, national origin or ethnicity.

Even our basic American values are being tested by the federal government and the current administration, and the Religious Freedom Act will prevent California from participating in the creation of a discriminatory and ineffective religious registry that tramples on the U.S. Constitution, said Sen. Lara.

On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump proposed a Muslim registry.

No fiscal impact of Senate Bill 31 was found. The California Religious Freedom Act will soon be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Speakers in support of Senate Bill 31 included Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Council on American Islamic Relations, Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights Los Angeles, the California Catholic Conference, the Sierra Club, the California Faculty Association, the California Federation of Teachers, the City of Long Beach, the City and County of San Francisco and the office of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, the office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, California Labor Federation, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, SEIU California, PICO California, ACLU of California, NextGen Climate, Public Counsel, California Immigrant Policy Center, Equality California, the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

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Religion Freedom Act advances from committee - Record Bee