MARCH 11 UPDATE: The House Judiciary Committee passed SB 2681 in amended form on March 4. The amended version does NOT address concerns about the bill and is still a license to discriminate against LGBT people and on the basis of race. The bill can go to a floor vote through March 12. It’s critical to keep the pressure up each day.
Suggested Tweet for March 12: “Call your reps now to oppose #sb2681. Find their numbers & info at: http://bit.ly/1gD2jj3 ”
Read the latest coverage:
- BuzzFeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/tonymerevick/discrimination-concerns-persist-over-mississippi-religious-f
- Deep South Progressive: http://bit.ly/MTQsnw
Background: The Mississippi state Senate unanimously passed the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” (SB 2681) on Jan. 31 and the House Judiciary Committee is now considering it. This bill is similar to legislation in Arizona that has been dubbed as a “Turn Away the Gays” bill.
ACTIONS TO OPPOSE SB 2681: 1) Call and email your member of the Mississippi House of Representatives TODAY:
Call the MS Capitol Switchboard at (601) 359-3770 to voice your opposition to SB 2681. Be ready to share your representatives’ name.
Call your rep. directly to express opposition. Find your representative, their phone number and email at: http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ …
Call script: “I’m a resident of your district and oppose SB 2681, which is bad for business in Mississippi and hurts my community. Please oppose this bill.”
The HRC has a handy email tool for Mississippi residents to contact state House members via email as well: https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1825
2) Post this graphic and this link – http://bit.ly/1gD2jj3 – on your Facebook page and stand against SB 2681. 
3) Write a letter to your hometown paper stating your opposition to SB 2681. The Campaign for Southern Equality’s statement on SB 2681 can be read here.
Check out this great op-ed by Carolyn Lucas of Hattiesburg: hatne.ws/1fJynVQ
You can also voice your opposition to SB 2681 through the Jackson Clarion Ledger on Twitter and Facebook: https://twitter.com/clarionledger https://www.facebook.com/clarionledger
4) Actions for those outside Mississippi: For non-Mississippi residents this HRC action alert tool has been set-up to oppose SB 2681: https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1829
