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Phil Bryant appeals block of ‘religious freedom’ law

By JEFF AMY

Associated Press

July 8, 2016 2:35 PM

Rabbi Jeremy Simons, Director of Rabbinic Services for the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, speaks on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson on Friday as he and others celebrated Thursday's ruling of a federal judge who blocked a Mississippi law on religious objections to same-sex marriage moments before it was set to take effect Friday. Simons was a plaintiff in one of the cases challenging the law. Simons said Reform Judaism has a history of accepting and including LGBT people. ROGELIO V. SOLIS Associated Press

JACKSON

Mississippi’s governor is asking a judge to let a state law take effect that would let some businesses and government employees cite religious beliefs to deny or delay services to same-sex couples.

Gov. Phil Bryant filed a notice Thursday, saying he'll ask the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower federal court’s decision blocked the Mississippi law from taking effect July 1.

In court papers, Bryant’s lawyer says U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves was wrong to block the law and asks Reeves to let the law take effect while the appeal is pending.

Bryant, a Republican acted on his own without Democratic Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who has expressed ambivalence about appealing.

Reeves ruled the law unconstitutionally establishes preferred beliefs and creates unequal treatment for gay people.

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Phil Bryant appeals block of ‘religious freedom’ law."

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