‘Act of God’ Debate Delays Relief Bill

In the wake of March 1 tornadoes that killed 25 people, Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican and Baptist minister, told the sponsors of a disaster relief bill that he couldn’t approve it because it referred to “acts of God.” He wanted the phrase changed to “natural disasters,” calling it “a matter of deep conscience to me to attribute in law a destructive and deadly force as being an ‘act of God.’ ” Arkansas’ House, after debating God’s role in the world, decided to use both phrases side by side. The bill would prohibit insurance companies from canceling or not renewing policies solely as a result of claims arising from “acts of God.”