Missouri religious-objections proposal fails in committee

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri religious-objections proposal failed to get the approval of a key legislative committee Wednesday in a setback for conservatives who hoped to add protections for those who cite their faith in denying services such as flowers or cakes for same-sex weddings.

Members of a House committee voted 6-6; a tie vote is not enough to advance the measure.

Supporters argued it's needed to shield businesses from being forced to provide services that violate their religious beliefs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year legalizing marriage of same-sex couples.

Three Republicans joined the committee's three Democratic members to vote down the measure in committee. Six other Republicans voted for it.

"They call it religious freedom," said Republican Rep. Jim Hansen, who wept before voting against the legislation. "I feel that I'm free in this country to worship the way I want. And I don't need a law to tell me how to worship. I don't need a law passed to make it legal to be Christian."

The legislation previously passed the Senate after a 37-hour filibuster by Democrats.

Under House rules, bills that fail to advance in a committee because of a tie vote can be revived by a majority vote of the full chamber within the next three legislative days. It wasn't clear Wednesday whether supporters would pursue that option.

The tie came after emotional pleas to defeat it from members, including Democratic Rep. Mike Colona, the only openly gay member of the Legislature.

"By our actions, it's telling our kids, our grandkids, our brothers and our sisters that we have second-class citizens that don't deserve the same rights that we do," Colona told committee members before the vote.

The Missouri Baptist Convention and Missouri Alliance for Freedom, which advocates for individual liberties, backed the proposal.

But it drew opposition from some of the state's top corporate names, including agricultural giant Monsanto, brewer Anheuser- Busch and prescription drug benefits manager Express Scripts.

Critics have cited economic fallout in states with laws perceived by some as discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, although Republican sponsor Sen. Bob Onder argues his proposal is narrower than measures passed in other states.

After North Carolina's passage of a bill banning local protections for LGBT people that included transgender bathroom use, big corporations, including online payments company PayPal and entertainment conglomerate Lionsgate, canceled plans to do business in the state.

Rock star Bruce Springsteen is among a growing list of musicians to cancel concerts in the state in response.

The Missouri legislation did not deal with transgender bathroom access.

Lawmakers face a May 13 deadline to pass legislation.