Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives refused to take up a bill that would have restored long-standing religious liberties in Minnesota.
For decades, Minnesota statute has allowed religious organizations and associations to refrain from hiring individuals who do not match their faith traditions. For example, current state law ensures that private Christian schools cannot be forced to hire teachers who are gay, lesbian, Muslim, etc. However, Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature put a new term in state law during the 2023 session which complicates that: “gender identity.”
When Democrats introduced this term, state law was not adjusted to make sure religious institutions can still decline to hire someone whose “gender identity” is in opposition to the religious groups’ faith.
On Monday, Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, made a motion in the Minnesota House of Representatives to suspend the rules and take up HF 3926. Rep. Niska’s bill, which has dozens of co-authors, would have remedied the situation by ensuring faith groups and institutions would not be forced to hire someone who holds opposing values.
“Until last year, everyone agreed that the government should not dictate religious doctrine to faith communities,” said Rep. Niska. “But the changes to the Minnesota Human Rights Act last year, hopefully inadvertently, changed that.”
Rep. Niska added, “We’re talking about the ability of faith communities to operate according to their beliefs within their own institutions in questions of employment, in questions of memberships.”
However, the majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Rep. Jamie Long, D-Minneapolis, made a motion to “table” HF 3926. By a vote of 67-56, Democrats tabled the bill and subsequently adjourned the Minnesota House of Representatives. In short, this means Rep. Niska’s bill was indefinitely set aside.
By putting the issue on hold, Democrats continue to block the restoration of critical religious liberties. As a result, faith groups may be forced to either hire individuals who hold opposing, antithetical values, or face legal consequences.
Prior to the tabling of HF 3926, Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature and religious leaders from across the state held a press conference to draw attention to the issue. In a press release, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said “we have seen an alarming rise in cases where individuals and organizations of all traditions face persecution because of their religious beliefs.”
According to Minority Leader Demuth, one faith-based Minnesota school is already facing an employment related complaint.
Rep. Niska had previously tried to address this situation when he offered an amendment to a separate bill that would have restored the protections for religious groups. However, Democrats voted down that amendment in February. A similar effort was shot down by Democrats in a Senate committee last week.
Democrats’ refusal to restore long-standing religious liberties has created an uproar amongst Minnesota’s various faith communities. Christians and Muslims have publicly called on the Minnesota Legislature to fix this situation.
Organizations and individuals from various faith groups were in the gallery of the Minnesota House of Representatives to watch Monday’s proceedings.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, an organization supporting Rep. Niska’s bill, put out a social media post showing Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in attendance at the State Capitol to watch the floor session.
Additionally, Rob Ketterling, the senior pastor of River Valley Church, was also in attendance on Monday. Leading a metro-area megachurch with 10 locations and nearly 10,000 attendees, Ketterling has been particularly vocal on this issue.
In a social media post, Ketterling said, “Democrats have clearly shown a hostility to people of faith that believe in basic biology and hold deeply held religious beliefs. As we pursue freedom of religion we (people of faith) will now have to work united to defeat any and all Democrats in MN to simply restore moderation to MN. The Giant has awakened.”
With a 1AM hearing, the MN Senate voted to attack religious freedom in MN. There is no exception for religious schools or faith groups to hold to their beliefs when it comes to gender.
Let me be clear, this is an attack on the first amendment and a hostile act to people of…— Rob Ketterling (@robketterling) March 19, 2024
Ketterling also called out transgender Minnesota Rep. Leigh Finke, D-St. Paul. In a recent video, Rep. Finke said that “institutionalized, oppressive, anti-LGBTQ systems” need to be “fully and completely dismantled.”
In response, Ketterling said: “This is what I’m talking about. DFL Rep Leigh Finke is saying it out loud! Leigh thinks churches that don’t embrace LGBTQ ‘have to be fully dismantled.’ Even using civil disobedience. Wake up! Our religious freedoms are under attack (and soon our churches according to Leigh) and to deny it is foolish.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
