South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of 16 states urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect individuals from being prosecuted for their religious beliefs. The request centers on the case Miller v. Civil Rights Department, originating in California.
The case involves Cathy Miller, a Christian bakery owner who declined to design a custom wedding cake for a same-sex couple in 2017, citing her religious beliefs about marriage. Miller offered to refer the couple to another baker, but they filed a civil rights complaint. Since then, California authorities have continued legal action against her.
Attorney General Wilson stated, “A state should not prosecute or persecute someone for their religious beliefs, but that’s exactly what’s happening here. We must fight against discrimination, but that includes discrimination against religious beliefs. We can’t stand by and let California or any state government force someone to do something that violates their religious convictions.”
A trial court initially ruled in favor of Miller, noting she had served people of all sexual orientations and acted based on sincere Christian beliefs rather than discriminatory intent. However, the state pursued further legal action, and an appeals court ruled against her. After the California Supreme Court declined to review the case, Miller appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The group of attorneys general argue that prior Supreme Court rulings prohibit states from forcing business owners to act against their religious convictions in similar circumstances. They also seek to overturn a more than 30-year-old precedent that lower courts have used in related cases.
Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia joined Wilson in filing an amicus brief supporting Miller’s petition.
