[Lemon:] Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a so-called religious freedom bill this week. He says it protects "sincerely held religious beliefs and more convictions of individuals, organizations and private associations. Critics are blasting the law as legalized discrimination. So, joining me now CNN's Polo Sandoval. Polo, good evening to you. Some say this is a victory for religious freedom, others call it discriminatory. What's the mood like there?
[Polo Sandoval, Cnn National Correspondent:] Well, absolutely. We have to remember that the ink is still drying on this. The governor still signed it yesterday so people are still reading it over. They're still trying to understand the legalities involved here. So, you'll find very different views, very opposing views here in Mississippi tonight. And also different takes on the law, different interpretations. Even some of the legal experts that we've spoken to are still unsure whether or not this will only affect LGBT individuals or perhaps have wider effects. Perhaps the unmarried couples living together or single mothers as well. But what we do know, especially after reading this bill over and over again Don, is that there are obviously effects when it comes to people working in the wedding industry, deejays, florists, bakers, et cetera. Now, people living in those industries now have the would now be able to refuse service for same-sex couples and not of course not face potential punishment by the state.
[Lemon:] Polo, you spoke to two business owners with different views on this bill. What did they tell you?
[Sandoval:] Yeah, well one is them is the Kake King as he's known around here. Jeromie Jones, he's a baker, in fact he says that he is the only black baker in the state of Mississippi according to him. He sighted market research. He traveled around the state checking in on different bakeries. And really his take is quite bit of a disappointing tone. He told us he's obviously quite upset with this law being passed. In fact, he's been the subject of discrimination before and now he fears that the passage of this law may now even lead him to move out of his native state. Take a listen.
[Jeromie Jones, Bakery Owner:] We have to pretty much pick up and move everything just because I don't feel like that we're ever going to be appreciated here for who we are. We're never going to be looked at as equal.
[Sandoval:] Again, that's Jeromie saying that, again, he is the only gay black male baker in the state of Mississippi according to what he's learned so far. And then of course you have the other side of the coin here, too, Don. There's who are glad to see this now become a law, including a seamstress that we caught with who works with brides on a regular basis. And she told us that she would never knowingly take part in preparing a wedding dress for a bride that would be taking part in a same-sex marriage. We asked her if she were to find out if one of her customers was in fact planning to take part in a same-sex marriage, this is what she told us. This is how she would handle it.
[Jackie Buchanan, Owner Seamingly Perfect:] I haven't ran into a situation where there were, you know, two brides or whatever the case may be. But f that should happen, I would take a stand. I think Christians should take a stand on their beliefs.
[Sandoval:] So again, you just heard there from Ms. Jackie Buchanan. In her own words, she would respectfully decline and that's what she's asking fellow business owners to do in light of the passage of this law. But I can tell you, Don, before I let you go, is that the conversation, the debate is far from over here in Mississippi tonight.
[Lemon:] Before we let you go Polo, I mean this bill is the latest in a wave of religious discrimination laws against the south since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, but this one has specifically strong language. What exactly does it say? You mentioned bakers, and people in the wedding industry, but what exactly does it say?
[Sandoval:] We started speaking to legal experts immediately after the governor signed this and even before and what really set this apart is directly under section 2, which sets apart three specific items that would be protected here, different religious views. That is that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, that sex is only for heterosexual married couples and that a person's sex is fully decided upon birth. And that is why so many people are taking issue. Again, supporters of this, including the state's governor saying that this is simply protecting people's rights, but then you speak to people like the baker that we spoke to today and they will tell you this opens the door wide open and sets things up for discrimination.
[Lemon:] Polo Sandoval, thank you very much. Reporting from Jackson, Mississippi. Joining me now to discuss this, representative Steve Holland of the Mississippi House and Roger Severino, the director of the Heritage Foundation DeVos Center for Religious and Civil Society. Good to have both of you on this evening. Thanks for joining us. Roger?
[Steve Holland, Mississippi House Representative:] Hello, Don.
[Lemon:] What do you say to those who say it's discriminatory?
[Roger Severino, Heritage Foundation Devos Center Director:] I think they're mistaken. The bill actually answers a fundamental question. Are we going to be a society that believes in live and let live where multiple views of marriage can actually co-exist or is it going to be winner take all where judges and government will take ne view of marriage then you view and coerce religious people and institutions to come along under penalties, under fines and revocation of tax exemption? And Mississippi has said no, we're going to respect freedom, we're going to respect tolerance for dissent and protect people like Barronelle Stutzman, a 70-year-old grandmother florist from Washington who was fined not because she refused to serve people...
[Lemon:] With all due respect Roger, this goes...
[Severino:] ... it was about marriage ceremonies.
[Lemon:] With all due respect, this goes beyond marriage. It talks about sexual relationship. It talks about, you know, gender and all that. It goes beyond marriage. Listen, I have to ask you with all due respect, it sounds likes the same argument for Loving versus Virginia, which was decided years ago between, you know, people of two different races. What's the difference here?
[Severino:] Well, I disagree. I think race is entirely different. I was at the civil rights division for the Department of Justice for seven years. I enforced our anti-discrimination laws. This is a passion of mine and this is entirely different. This is entirely about religious freedom. It is tailored very specifically to the wedding context
[Lemon:] For religious freedom was also used in Loving versus Virginia as well. They said that the bible says it was against two people of different races marrying.
[Severino:] Yes, and race is different. This has nothing to do with race. And in fact, the words sexual orientation appear nowhere in this bill. This is in response to an act of a Supreme Court decision that overturned the will of the people around the country and redefined marriage for everyone including Mississippi that had a constitutional amendment that said marriage is a union of one man and woman. It's the same belief that President Obama had as recently as 2012.
[Lemon:] Okay, I want to get Representative Holland in. You're a Democrat in a conservative state. Why did you come out against this bill? Could it cost you?
[Holland:] Well, I guess it could cost me. I'm not worried about that cost because I believe strongly in what I believe in and I've been that way for the 33 years that I've served in the Mississippi House of Representatives. But I don't know why we need government sanctioned discrimination. That is just that simple to me. Our state of all the states in the nation has a sordid history and we tried some of us have tried so hard to move ourselves toward progressive legislation, toward better school system, toward better health for our people and statistically we continue to lag at the bottom. But this was a pretty big slap in the face. I don't see this religious freedom at all. I see it as the government saying that we can just discriminate against whole classes of people. And we went through that in the 60s and we're still suffering from that and it just hurts my heart as a Christian, number one, that we're not practicing love. And I think that's the basis of Christianity. The great commandments are love God and love your neighbor as yourself and I don't see much love in this bill.
[Lemon:] So Roger, here is what the Mississippi ACLU tweeted. "Welcome to Mississippi, the hospitality state that says you're okay only if you're straight and married, #shameonphil." A number of corporations have also denounced this bill, I mean don't you think this is going to hurt look at all these companies that provide services and businesses and jobs to the people of your state. Do you think this is going to hurt Mississippi economically?
[Severino:] Well, first, everybody deserves to be treated with respect, absolutely. And that includes people who disagree on the position on marriage. This is...
[Lemon:] But how is it respectful let me ask you, how is it respectful if you go into a business expecting a service and someone says to you I'm not serving you because you're black or you're gay or because of some other thing that they just don't happen to like because they say it's part of their religion, that their religion doesn't allow that. How is that not discriminatory?
[Severino:] Again, I sued bigots for the Department of Justice for seven years. I know what discrimination looks like. This is entirely different. This is a very tailored, specific, balanced law that addresses the issues related to marriage in a Supreme Court decision. It allows people to dissent in a very small context, small businesses, in the wedding service context, religious institution, religious educational facilities, adoption facilities, it's very focused, very tailored, very balanced. There should be room for people of faith to express their beliefs and not be punished by the government.
[Lemon:] But is this not what happens on Sunday? Isn't that what happens o Sunday? Isn't that happens inside of you as the bible says because this law is basically about conservative Christianity. It does not mention any other religion, it does not mention the text in any other type of religion. It's about conservative Christianity so, it doesn't seem to respect the wishes of other people from other religions. It just seems to be focused on Christianity. Well, I need to get a break here but I'll let you respond so stay with me. When we come right back, are these religious freedom laws damaging the GOP and will the party pay a price in November? We'll be right back.