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Judge Blocks House Bill 1523, State Vows Appeal

Last Updated by Ezra Wall on File: Plaintiffs in the HB 1523 Lawsuits Break for Lunch

A controversial religious accommodations law will not take effect today, as originally scheduled. An eleventh-hour injunction from US District Judge Carlton Reeves halts House Bill 1523 from becoming law. It would have allowed merchants and government officials to recuse themselves from offering services to gay and lesbian couples hoping to marry. Beth Orlansky is Advocacy Director for the Mississippi Center for Justice, part of the legal team behind the suits.

In a statement, Governor Phil Bryant says: "Like I said when I signed House Bill 1523, the law simply provides religious accommodations granted by many other states and federal law.  I am disappointed Judge Reeves did not recognize that reality. I look forward to an aggressive appeal."