California: Tell lawmakers religious belief doesn’t trump the law

Lawmakers in California are considering AB 1881, an extreme piece of legislation that would create a two-tiered legal system that privileges religion over everyone else. This bill is a “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) that would allow individuals and organizations to avoid following the law solely because of their professed religious beliefs.

Although this bill is framed as a protection for Indigenous communities, in states where similar legislation has been enacted, people have used RFRA to override nondiscrimination protections, public health laws, and even basic workers’ rights. If AB 1881 is enacted, it will allow certain people to be above the law because they have the “right” religious beliefs.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on AB 1881 this week! Urge your lawmakers to oppose this bill TODAY.

Religious freedom is meant to be a civil right for all of us, not a special privilege for some! AB 1881 claims to protect the religious freedom of Indigenous communities, but will actually undermine and weaponize that protection. Our legal system is meant to be neutral on religious issues. That means no single religious perspective can be promoted above another, and religious belief cannot be favored over nonreligious belief. AB 1881 would violate this foundational principle by creating legal mechanisms through which religious organizations can claim they are exempt from laws the rest of us must follow.

This bill would introduce language into California law that would allow any religious organization to avoid following the laws meant to protect all Californians. Let your lawmakers know no one should be above the law simply because they are religious!

Sincerely,

Victoria Anderson
State Policy Specialist