Texas Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Protect Religious Freedom of Business Owners

A Texas lawmaker is proposing a bill that would seek to protect local businesses from offering services to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs.

The new proposal, entitled Senate Joint Resolution 10, was issued Monday by state Senator Donna Campbell, a Republican. The proposal would allow employers in the state to refuse goods, service or employment based on their religious beliefs.

The text of the bill allows the employer the "right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief."

The proposal goes on to state that the government cannot interfere with an employer's religious freedom "unless the government proves that the burden is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest."

Several other similar laws have been proposed in other states after small business owners were being taken to court for refusing services to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. One of the most public cases involved a bakery in Oregon that was taken to court for refusing the bake a cake for a gay couple's wedding ceremony.

The bakery was forced to pay a hefty discrimination fine and owners are now saying they are struggling and in debt while trying to pay off the expense.

Campbell discusses her dedication to preserving "religious freedom" on her website, saying "Conservative values have made Texas a great state to raise a family and start a business."

"I will continue to fight for these values," the Tea Party politician added.