Fifty-one years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that when businesses are open to the public, they must be open to all, regardless of who the customer is or the owner's political beliefs. And yet, we find ourselves again in a pivotal moment in the United States, where the federal government, state and federal courts, and lawmakers are attempting to insert religious exemptions into nearly every area of life, from business to health care to state-contracted child welfare agencies.
By allowing service providers to pick and choose who to serve or how to serve them, these religious exemption laws give people a "license to discriminate," and chip away at two of the most core American values: freedom of opportunity and fairness for all.
Nowhere is the impact of religious exemptions more heavily felt that in rural communities across the country.
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