Religious Liberty 3220 18th St S #8 Fargo, ND 58104 Restoration Amendment (701) 364-0676 admin@yesonmeasurethree.

org Committee
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: June 4, 2012 Contact: Tom Freier 701-364-0676 Christopher Dodson: 701-269-2644

Distinguished Legal Experts Agree: Measure 3 Needed, Safe, and Well-Tested Drawing from their years of teaching and scholarship on the law of religious freedom legal scholars from among the nations most prestigious universities heartily endorse Measure 3. The experts, from universities including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Virginia, and Notre Dame, write that North Dakota provides less religious freedom protection than a majority of states and the federal government. North Dakota would do well to join the majority of the states in protecting religious liberty with the compelling interest test, write the experts. The protections that Measure 3 would provide have proven to be invaluable tools for promoting justice and freedom for citizens in the other states that have laws akin to Measure 3. Further, the laws have not been interpreted in crazy ways that have caused problems for those jurisdictions, so there is no reason to think that the experience will be any different in North Dakota. The experience of the other jurisdictions as well as the language of the measure itself contradict claims that Measure 3 would tie-up the courts or be used to protect acts of abuse or neglect, according to the letter. The experts note that preventing harm to children is a quintessential compelling government interest, and the state could prohibit any conduct resulting in harm to children. Everyone agrees that the state has a compelling interest in preventing injury to other persons, they added. The experts confirm what common sense North Dakotans realize -- Measure 3 is needed, safe, and well-tested, stated Christopher Dodson, Executive Director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, which supports the measure. The letter can be downloaded at: http://www.yesonmeasurethree.org/resources/ NorthDakotaScholarsLetter.pdf ###

The Religious Liberty Restoration Amendment Committee is a broad coalition of religious and civic leaders who wish to preserve religious freedom in North Dakota for all of its residents, and for future generations.

Douglas Laycock
ROBERT E. SCOTT DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF LAW HORACE W. GOLDSMITH RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF LAW PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES ALICE MCKEAN YOUNG REGENTS CHAIR IN LAW EMERITUS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

May 31, 2012 Mr. Jim W. Smith Director, Legislative Council State Capitol 600 East Boulevard Bismarck, ND 58505-0360 By U.S. Mail Dear Mr. Smith, We write to provide you our opinion concerning the Religious Liberty Restoration Amendment that will be on the June 12 ballot as Measure 3. We heartily endorse the Amendment. This endorsement is based on our years of teaching and scholarship on the law of religious freedom. The proposed Amendment is a version of the Religious Liberty Restoration Acts (RFRAs) that have been enacted at both the federal level (to govern federal law) and in sixteen states: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Another fifteen states have interpreted their state constitutions to provide similar protection: Alaska, Indiana, Maine, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin. By this count, thirty-one of the fifty states and the federal government have provided, in one form or another, the protection for religious liberty that would be provided by the proposed Amendment. These protections, including the compelling interest test, which North Dakota does not currently apply to religious freedom claims, have proven to be invaluable tools for promoting justice and freedom for citizens in these other states, including Minnesota and Montana. North Dakota would do well to join the majority of states in protecting religious liberty with the compelling interest test. The federal RFRA has applied to federal law since 1993. Some of these state laws and decisions have also been around for a long time. The standard enacted in these laws was the constitutional law for the entire country from 1963 to 1990. In the places where these laws exist, they have not been interpreted in crazy ways that have caused problems for those jurisdictions; if anything, they have been enforced too cautiously. If the sky has not fallen in the 31 states where these provisions are already the law, including neighboring states like Minnesota, there is no reason to think the experience will be any different in North Dakota.
580 MASSIE ROAD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22903-1738 PHONE: 434-243-8546 FAX: 434-924-7536 DLAYCOCK@VIRGINIA.EDU

Indeed, these laws typically do not wind up applying to large numbers of cases. But those few cases are often of intense importance to the people affected. We should not punish a person for practicing his religion unless we have a very good reason. These cases are about whether people pay fines, or go to jail, for practicing their religionin America, in the 21st century. We understand that some opponents of the Amendment have said that it will be too protective of religion. That reflects a misunderstanding of the compelling interest test, which is the way that the Amendment and laws like it protect the interests of the broader community. For example, as applied to racial discrimination, or to censorship of speech, the compelling interest test nearly always leads to unconstitutionality. But that is not inherent in the compelling interest test; that is because there are so few good reasons for racial discrimination or censorship of speech. As applied to conduct, the compelling interest test will more often be satisfied, because conduct will more often do tangible harm to somebody else. For example, preventing harm to children is a quintessential compelling governmental interest, and the state could prohibit any conduct resulting in harm to children. Everyone agrees that the state has a compelling interest in preventing physical injury to other persons. This letter is necessarily too short so we are sending along with this letter a recent article on the issues presented by the Amendment. Douglas Laycock, The Religious Exemptions Debate, 11 Rutgers J. L. & Religion 139 (2009), available at www.lawandreligion.com/publications. You are authorized to share this letter with anyone who is interested. Very truly yours, [Institutional affiliations provided for purposes of identification only] Prof. Mary Ann Glendon Harvard Law School Prof. Carl H. Esbeck University of Missouri School of Law Prof. Richard W. Garnett Notre Dame Law School Prof. Thomas C. Berg University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota) Prof. Mark S. Scarberry Pepperdine University School of Law Prof. Douglas Laycock University of Virginia School of Law Prof. Michael W. McConnell Stanford Law School Prof. Robert P. George Princeton University Prof. Gregory C. Sisk University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota) Prof. Marie Failinger Hamline University School of Law

Prof. Mark L. Rienzi Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law Prof. Christopher C. Lund Wayne State University Law School

Prof. Michael S. Paulsen University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota) Prof. Joshua D. Hawley University of Missouri School of Law