I am proud defend the right of Texans to freely live by their faith without government penalty or persecution.
By State Rep. Dan Flynn
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas No Texan should have to choose between a sincerely held religious belief and his or her livelihood. The right to religious belief and expression is fundamental to our democracy enshrined at the very beginning of the United States Constitution in the 1st Amendment.
Recently however there has been an increasingly concerning trend of governmental entities denying contracts loans and license or employment opportunities based on affiliation with a religious organization.
Governmental entities are taxpayer-funded and serve the public. They should not be able to use scare tactics to threaten the religious liberties and livelihoods of individuals and businesses in order to push forward a political agenda.
Today the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 1978 to ensure that this state defends First Amendment rights and the sincerely held religious beliefs of its citizens.
SB 1978 confirms that all Texans may support religious organizations of their choosing without fear that it could impact their ability to work or do business with governmental entities.
This bill prevents state and local government discrimination based on:
- Religious Affiliation in the form of denying a grant contract loan scholarship license registration accreditation or employment;
- Withholding any Benefit Provided under a benefit program;
- Negatively Altering Tax Treatment;
- Disallowing a Tax Deduction for a Charitable Contribution;
- Denying Admission to or a Degree from an Educational Program or Institution; or
- Withholding Access to a Property educational institution speech forum or charitable fundraising campaign
I am proud defend the right of Texans to freely live by their faith without government penalty or persecution.
Representative Dan Flynn is currently serving his 9th term as the Texas House of Representative for House District 2 which includes Hopkins Hunt & Van Zandt Counties. He serves as Chairman of the Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee and as a member of the House Administration Committee and the House Committee on Pensions Investments & Financial Services.
