A bill Republican sponsors are calling a “religious freedom restoration” bill has cleared its first procedural hurdle in the Iowa Senate. Joan Thompson of the Iowa Catholic Conference says it’ll prevent the government from forcing Iowans to do things that violate their religious beliefs.

Opponents say religious freedom is already protected in the Iowa Constitution and several business groups pointed to the boycotts that have been launched against other states which have similar laws. Iowa Chamber Alliance executive director John Stineman.

Twenty-one states have enacted religious liberty bills, but the language in those laws varies.