Bryant Slams Critics Of Religious Objection Law

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says the “secular, progressive world” vented anger at him for signing a bill that would let clerks cite religious beliefs to recuse themselves from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Republican Bryant spoke in Washington as the conservative Family Research Council gave him an award Thursday for signing that bill and a similar one in 2014 called the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Two legal challenges seek to block the religious-objections measure, House Bill 1523 , from becoming law July 1.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed one of the lawsuits May 9 on behalf of a gay couple from Meridian. State attorneys argued last week that the new law should go into effect. The ACLU responded Tuesday that the law will treat gay couples unfairly.