West Virginia Governor Signs Law to Protect Religious Freedom from Government Interference

Jean Mondoro : Mar 14, 2023
LifeSiteNews.com

The law, which explicitly excludes any religious 'right' to abortion, will go into effect on May 29, 2023.

(Charleston, WV) — [LifeSiteNews.com] The governor of West Virginia has signed a law to protect religious freedom across his state. (Screengrab image)

On Thursday, Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed the Equal Protection for Religion Act, a piece of legislation aimed to prevent the government from "more restrictively" limiting individuals engaging in religious practices than "comparable conduct."

The law will "amend the Code of West Virginia" by "forbidding excessive government limitations on exercise of religion; forbidding government from treating religious conduct more restrictively than any conduct of reasonably comparable risk; [and] forbidding government from treating religious conduct more restrictively than comparable conduct because of alleged economic need or benefit."

"No state action may substantially burden a person's exercise of religion unless applying the burden to that person's exercise of religion in a particular situation is essential to further a compelling governmental interest' and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest," the law states. 

Governmental entities in West Virginia are also prohibited from "treat[ing] religious conduct more restrictively than comparable risk" and doing so "because of alleged economic need or benefit."

Citizens whose religious freedom is violated are permitted the opportunity to "assert such violation or impending violation, including against the state or its political subdivisions, as a claim or as a defense in any judicial or administrative proceeding." Taking legal action against the government includes the condition that requested "relief is limited to injunctive or declaratory relief and reimbursement of costs and reasonable attorney fees"... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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