'Religious Liberty' Veto May Drive Christians From GOP, Gwinnett Lawmaker Says

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- A Gwinnett County Republican says Gov. Nathan Deal's planned veto of a bill many heavyweight critics decried as anti-gay may drive Christians away from the party.

"I would not at all be shocked to see Christians abandon the Republican Party in droves," Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, said on Facebook. "They asked for simple protections along the lines of the Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which does not apply to state government action and has never been used to discriminate against anyone, and for the third year in a row they have been denied."

On Monday, Deal, a Republican, announced that he will veto the so-called "Religious Liberty Act." House Bill 757 would have, among other things, allowed faith-based groups to refuse services or terminate employees based on sexual orientation.

"Government doesn't need to confer religious liberty," Deal said. "Inclusions and omissions in their statutes may lead to discrimination, intentional or unintentional.

"This is about the character of our state and people. Georgia is full of loving, kind and generous people, who choose to worship God in their own way."

Deal had come under increasingly heavy pressure to veto the measure, most notably from the film and television industry which has become a multi-billion-dollar business in Georgia.

AMC, which airs and produces the primarily Georgia-lensed "The Walking Dead," joined an entertainment-industry chorus calling for Deal to veto the proposal. Disney and its Marvel Studios also said they would stop filming movies in Georgia if Deal signed the bill.

All of Atlanta's professional sports franchises -- the Braves, Falcons and Hawks -- came out against the measure, as did Georgia business big-wigs including UPS, Home Depot and Cox Communications.

In his Facebook post, Brockway, who supported HB 757, denied that it was discriminatory and said he was disappointed in Deal for vetoing it.

Most of Gwinnett County's Republican-heavy delegation to the General Assembly kept mum on Deal's decision Monday and Tuesday morning. But several supporters of his decision were speaking out.

Rep. B.J. Pak, a Republican from Lilburn, voted against the bill. On Twitter, he said Deal made the right decision.

"He is a thoughtful governor with strong faith & I'm sure this was not an easy decision," Pak tweeted.

In a separate post, Pak called the possibility of calling a special session to try to override Deal's veto -- an idea floated by some of his fellow Republicans -- "1 of the dumbest things I've ever heard at the Capitol."

Democratic Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick, whose district includes parts of Snellville and Loganville, called Deal's veto a "wise choice" on Twitter.

(Photo via Buzz Brockway Facebook page)