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Mississippi Governor Signs Sweeping 'Religious Freedom' Bill Into Law

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Protesters call for Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to veto House Bill 1523, which they says will allow discrimination against LGBT people, during a rally outside the Governor's Mansion in Jackson, Miss., on Monday. The governor signed the bill into law yesterday. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Protesters call for Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to veto House Bill 1523, which they says will allow discrimination against LGBT people, during a rally outside the Governor's Mansion in Jackson, Miss., on Monday. The governor signed the bill into law yesterday. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

Mississippi now has one of the broadest "religious freedom" laws in the country. But critics call it the most sweeping anti-LGBT law in the country.

Governor Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1523 yesterday, creating a religious shield from government penalties for an array of people and organizations -- if providing those services violates religious beliefs about same-sex marriage, sex outside marriage and gender identity.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks to Dominic Holden, national LGBT reporter for BuzzFeed, about why this kind of legislation is gaining such traction in state legislatures around the country.

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This segment aired on April 6, 2016.

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