Georgia Republicans say religious liberty needs protection, but Democrats warn of discrimination

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans are voting to protect religious rights from being trampled by state and local governments, while Democrats warn that the long-disputed measure opens the door for people and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the name of religion.

The Senate voted 33-19 for Senate Bill 180 on Thursday, sending it to the House for more debate.

It’s a new flareup in an old debate in Georgia, where lawmakers eight years ago passed a different version of the measure. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, vetoed it in 2016 under pressure from members of the business community who said they feared it would hurt their ability to attract employees and tourists.

This time around the measure is being pushed in an election year when all lawmakers are up for reelection and Republican leaders have become more conservative.

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The bill mirrors a 1993 federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which says that a government must show a compelling interest to force someone to go