SC governor candidates split over agency that excludes same-sex couples, non-Christians
GREENVILLE — As he looks to mobilize support in the traditional conservative stronghold of the Upstate, Gov. Henry McMaster went to bat again this week for a Greenville foster care agency that denies services to same-sex couples and non-Christian families.
McMaster signed an executive order in March directing the S.C. Department of Social Services not to penalize such organizations as Greenville-based Miracle Hill Ministries that say they are following their deeply held religious beliefs by limiting their services, even though it goes against Obama-era anti-discrimination federal guidelines.
That policy was encoded into state law in July when a similar clause was inserted into the state budget that passed through the Legislature.
To McMaster, the issue is a simple matter of religious freedom. He joins many Republicans around the country who have rallied behind business owners and faith groups that want to exclude certain groups of people based on their deeply held spiritual beliefs, such as a Colorado baker who won a Supreme Court case after refusing to make a cake for a gay wedding.
Read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/sc-governor-candidates-split-over-agency-that-excludes-same-sex/article_275d8534-aa05-11e8-bf45-13501657cb91.html
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