Backlash over "religious freedom law" intensifies
Indiana's largest newspaper is calling on state lawmakers to change the state's controversial "religious freedom law." The Indianapolis Star's front page editorial says "Fix this now" in large white letters, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz.
Protesters scored a small victory Monday night in their fight against the new bill.
"No hate in our state," they chanted.
The Indianapolis City Council passed a resolution urging lawmakers to either repeal the legislation or amend it to protect gays and lesbians.
"Indy does not support discrimination and Indy absolutely does not legislate discrimination," Indianapolis City Council Jeff Miller said.
That passion has been felt across state lines.
"Somebody's got to stand up to this kind of bigotry and I'm prepared to do it," Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy said.
He's joined the governor of Washington and mayor of San Francisco in banning state and city-funded travel to Indiana.
So far, at least nine top Indiana business executives have called on Governor Mike Pence to reform the legislation which critics say gives businesses a free pass to discriminate against gays and lesbians.
Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his opinion in the Washington Post.
Indianapolis based Angie's List has already put a $40 million expansion project on hold.
"We have senior executives in my firm that we recruited from out of state who are either gay, lesbian, or transgender that now have to look around and say what sort of state did I move to," Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle said.
Despite potential economic losses, Pence is standing by the law.
In Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, he insisted the legislation "only provides a mechanism to address claims, not a license for private parties to deny services."
He goes on to say "I abhor discrimination... if I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn't eat there anymore."
State Republican lawmakers are now scrambling to quiet the firestorm by working on an amendment.
"We don't support discrimination against anyone and this law doesn't do that and it hasn't done that in the past," Sen. David Long (R-Indiana) said.
But it's unlikely a revamped measure will win any Democratic support.
"When you have a bill that's this tainted, this corrupted, there's no fix to it. You just get rid of it," Sen. Tim Lanane (D-Indiana) said.
It's not just businesses and lawmakers who are taking action. Rock band Wilco has canceled an upcoming performance in Indianapolis. They made the announcement on Twitter saying the law feels like thinly disguised legal discrimination.