Phoenix anti-discrimination law is unconstitutional

The Arizona Supreme Court says a Phoenix anti-discrimination ordinance actually violated the free speech rights of two Christian artists.

The law makes it illegal for businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples based on religious reasons.

In 2016, wedding invitation artists Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski sued the city over the law.

They believe marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

They also believe the Phoenix ordinance violates their constitutional right to free speech and religion.

On Monday, the high court sided with them, reversing previous rulings by lower courts favoring the city.

However, the high court says its ruling only applies to the creation of custom wedding invitations by these specific artists. It says it is not a blanket exemption from the ordinance for all their business operations.

Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers praised the ruling saying, ” Today’s ruling balances the importance of nondiscrimination with the inalienable free speech and exercise-of-religion rights of business owners. This is a critical victory for the First Amendment and religious freedom… ”

Representative Daniel Hernandez Jr. disagrees. In a statement on behalfg of the Arizona LGBTQ Legislative Caucus, Hernandez writes: ” This potentially opens Pandora’s box for future litigation. It also serves as an important reminder that there are no protections for the LGTBQ community in Arizona… We need to pass non-discrimination for all Arizonans in the next legislative session. ”

Phoenix’s nondiscrimination ordinance dates back to 1964, but was expanded to protect against sexual orientation and gender bias in 2013.