Texas governor to
sign antigay bill at evangelical church school

Texas governor Rick Perry plans to visit a Christian school on Sunday to sign two pieces of legislation that have drawn strong support from far-right religious organizations. One piece of legislation restricts abortion, while the other will put on the ballot a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Supporters are praising the bill-signing event, scheduled to take place at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Worth, as a major victory for conservative Republicans, but critics say the ceremony is inappropriate. "I think it's wrong," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which describes itself as a mainstream voice to counter the religious right. "As I recall, Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple, and I wonder how long it will be before people of faith get fed up with opportunistic political campaigning in their houses of worship." The governor will not sign the bills from a pulpit but in the school gym, said Perry spokesman Robert Black. "It's interesting. No one seemed to protest the governor signing a bill at a business or a hospital," Black said. "It's not a political event. It's a bill-signing." Perry will sign a bill that requires parental consent for girls younger than 18 to undergo abortions. He also will sign a resolution to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. That signature is mostly ceremonial since voters must approve it in November before it becomes law. Perry, who signed a workers' compensation bill at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth on Wednesday, said the church school is the appropriate venue for values-related issues. "The two issues talk about values," he said. "A church is an appropriate place to come together and celebrate a victory for the values of the people of Texas." (AP)