Federal Judge Refuses to Block HB 1523

A federal judge has decided not to block Mississippi’s controversial Religious Accommodations Act.
News 25’s Kendra Turley joins us with the details on how both the ACLU and members of the LGBT community are handling the news.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit against House Bill 1523 in May on behalf of a same-sex couple from Meridian who have been engaged for nearly two years and plan to marry soon.
Fearful of being turned away from a city clerk for their sexuality, they organized the very first lawsuit against the bill.
United States District Judge Carlton Reeves said their motion for a preliminary injunction failed essentially because the couple plans on applying for a marriage license sometime within the next three years, proving HB 1523 as no “real and immediate” threat.
HB 1523 is expected to take effect July 1st. President of the Mississippi Rainbow Center Molly Kester said, “I think the biggest thing, especially for the LGBT people, don’t take this as a setback. This is just part of the whole legal process. It’s going to be a process. Marriage equality was a long process. I don’t see this being that long. This is dealing with one state and not the whole country. I think the process will be in our favor, it’s just going to take a little bit of time.”
The ACLU has filed a motion to reconsider and is hopeful the court will take another look. Representatives tell News 25 they will continue their efforts to ensure that HB 1523 is struck down or repealed.