INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has approved changes to new law that sparked boycotts of the state amid fears that it would allow discrimination against lesbians and gays.
Pence had asked lawmakers to clarify language in the religious objections law earlier this week as businesses canceled conventions and governments banned travel to the state. The House and Senate approved the changes Thursday after intense negotiations with business and community leaders, and Pence signed it late in the day.
The revised legislation prohibits providers from using the law as a legal defense for refusing to provide services, goods, facilities or accommodations. It also bars discrimination based on factors that include race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or United States military service.
The law will take effect July 1.
House Speaker Brian Bosma said the amendment to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act sends a “very strong statement” that the state will not tolerate discrimination.
The law “cannot be used to discriminate against anyone,” he said.
Bosma and Long said Thursday morning they had the votes needed to pass the amendment and send it to Pence.
Business leaders, many of whom had opposed the law or pledged to cancel travel to the state because of it, called the amendment a good first step. Indiana still does not include the LGBT community as a protected class in its civil-rights law, but Bosma said lawmakers met with representatives of the gay community and said they believed the new language addressed many of their concerns.
Former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, now a senior vice president at drugmaker Eli Lilly, praised the agreement but noted that work needs to be done to repair the damage done to the state’s image.
“The healing needs to begin right now,” he said.
Democratic leaders said the proposed amendment doesn’t go far enough and repeated their calls to repeal the law.
“I want to hear somebody say we made a grave mistake and we caused the state tremendous embarrassment that will take months if not years to repair,” said House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City. “I want to hear one of the proponents ‘fess up, because the healing cannot begin until that happens. The solution is simple. Repeal this law.”