Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!
0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8f680000Coverage of the 2016 races in New Hampshire, from the White House to the State House.

Political Junkie Ken Rudin On Indiana's Religious Freedom Bill, The Federal Budget, And Ted Cruz

Gage Skidmore
/
Flickr/cc

It's our monthly check in with Political Junkie Ken Rudin. We're covering some of the top political stories of recent weeks including Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, federal budget proposals from congress, and the latest from the presidential field of hopefuls.

  Guest:

  • Ken Rudin -- host of The Political Junkie, a weekly radio show covering national, state, and local politics. He is an expert in U.S. politics and campaign history, and a former NPR political editor.

Read More

NPR's It's All Politics: What The 2016 Hopefuls Are Saying About Indiana's 'Religious Freedom' Law --

Jeb Bush, to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt

"I think if you, if they actually got briefed on the law that they wouldn't be blasting this law. I think Gov. Pence has done the right thing. Florida has a law like this. Bill Clinton signed a law like this at the federal level. "This is simply allowing people of faith space to be able to express their beliefs, to have, to be able to be people of conscience. I just think once the facts are established, people aren't going to see this as discriminatory at all."

Ben Carson, to Breitbart News

"It is absolutely vital that we do all we can to allow Americans to practice their religious ways, while simultaneously ensuring that no one's beliefs infringe upon those of others. We should also serve as champions of freedom of religion throughout the world."

Hillary Clinton, on Twitter

"Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT"

Ted Cruz, on Twitter

"I'm proud to stand with Gov. @mike_pence for religious liberty, and I urge Americans to do the same."

Sen. Marco Rubio, to Fox'sThe Five

"I don't think Americans want to discriminate against anyone. I think the fundamental question in some of these laws is should someone be discriminated against because of their religious views? So no one here is saying it should be legal to deny someone service at a restaurant or a hotel because of their sexual orientation. I think that's a consensus view in America. The flip side of it is, though, should a photographer be punished for refusing to do a wedding that their faith teaches them is not one that is valid in the eyes of God."

Gov. Scott Walker, in a press conference

"In our state there's a balance between wanting to make sure that there's not discrimination [and] at the same time respecting religious freedoms. ... We do that in different ways than what they've done in Indiana. "Certainly that's going to be part of the debate here and across the country."

Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.