AUGUSTA, Maine - A Republican state senator says he's withdrawing his controversial religious freedom bill. David Burns, of Whiting, says in a press release that he doesn't think the bill can get a fair hearing.
Burns cites the "current political environment" and "irresponsible reporting" by some in the media as factors in his decision.
"Opponents of this bill and some in the media have poisoned the well of public discussion," Burns says. "They have been guided by an unwillingness to discuss factual information and inaccurate comparisons to the events in Indiana."
The bill, An Act to Enact the Preservation of Religious Freedom, was modeled after a similar federal law enacted in 1993.
A religious freedom measure enacted in Indiana created a national firestorm, forcing Indiana lawmakers to make changes to the law.
Burns says his bill doesn't include language that raised concerns about gay rights in Indiana. But opponents of the Maine bill said it was overreaching and unnecessary.
Burns says he plans to withdraw the measure when it reaches committee. The bill was intended to guarantee that no Maine law would infringe on a person’s free exercise of religion unless it is needed to further a "compelling state interest."