Indiana Backtracks While Alabama Moves on Antigay Bill
While Indiana lawmakers try to contain the fallout from a religious exemptions bill that's been widely criticized for opening a backdoor to discriminating against LGBT residents, Alabama is poised to pass a similar bill today.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence insists the law is not meant to discriminate against anyone. "There was never any intention in this law to create a license to discriminate," Pence told reporters on Monday. "We will clarify this in the days ahead and fix this and move forward."
In total, more than 28 states are contemplating similar legislation ahead of the Supreme Court's marriage equality hearing next month.
In other news...
Health: Amid an investigation into the copilot accused of intentionally crashing a Germanwings jet and killing all 150 passengers on board, new concerns about stigmatizing people with mental illness are arising. (via The New York Times)
Food: Navajo Nation is enacting a so-called junk food tax to combat diet-related illnesses. (via the Los Angeles Times)
Animals: A badly abused Peruvian bear named Cholita has a new home at an animal sanctuary in Colorado. (via NPR)
Public Safety: A driver was shot dead on Monday after trying to get past a gate at the National Security Administration's Fort Meade, Maryland, campus. (via The Washington Post)
Related stories on TakePart:
• 'Asterisk Equality'? Three Kinds of LGBT Discrimination That ENDA Won’t End
• Junk Food Tax Aims to Beat Diabetes Epidemic in Neglected Corner of America
• A Bad Month for Polar Bears Turns Grizzly
Original article from TakePart
