Wilson Vetoes Bill Curbing Government Limits on Religion

Putting himself at odds with religious groups, Gov. Pete Wilson on Monday vetoed a bill that limited government restrictions on religious practices.

The Republican governor struck down a measure by Assemblyman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) that would have required state and local agencies to demonstrate a compelling need before taking actions that restrict religious activities.

The bill also would have required the agencies to use the least restrictive means to implement any law or regulation that substantially burdened a person’s religious practices.

“Few principles epitomize America’s unique national character as does the 1st Amendment’s right to freedom of religion,” Wilson said in a veto message.

“But this bill goes beyond the guarantees under the 1st Amendment or the California Constitution. Poorly drafted, it sets standards for assessing the validity of laws which would have untold consequences not contemplated by its supporters.”

He said it could lead to lawsuits filed by prison inmates or challenges to tax laws, “compulsory vaccination laws, to drug laws, to land-use laws, to laws against racial discrimination.”

Representatives of practically every religion held rallies earlier this month in Sacramento and Los Angeles to support the bill, which was passed by the Legislature last month in response to a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

That ruling struck down the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but did not preclude states from passing their own laws to protect religious freedom.

Supporters said that without enactment of the Baca bill, governments at all levels could keep people of any religion from practicing their beliefs through laws that attempt to be neutral.