Hitching Post Suit Dismissal Sought

Lawyers for a pair of Coeur d’Alene ministers think they have a strong case for establishing a religious exemption enabling businesses to refuse to take part in same-sex wedding ceremonies – one of the goals of opponents of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down gay marriage bans as unconstitutional. Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit organization, is pushing ahead with a lawsuit on behalf of the owners of the for-profit Hitching Post wedding chapel challenging a city ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. “We’ve got to know the full bounds of the protections that are going to be afforded religious individuals and religious businesses now that same-sex marriage is legal,” said J. Mathhew Sharp, an attorney with the organization. “So this is an important test case to really see, are ministers and the businesses they operate going to be protected going forward?” The city of Coeur d’Alene is pushing back, arguing before a federal judge Monday that the suit should be tossed out because the plaintiffs, Donald and Evelyn Knapp and their business, cannot claim the city law has caused them injury/ Scott Maben , SR. More here .

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