--- title: Indiana Governor Mike Pence: Change Religious Freedom Restoration Act description: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence urged state lawmakers Tuesday to amend a controversial new religious freedom law canonical: https://time.com/3765505/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-31T16:24:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:17.235Z article:section: Politics og:title: Indiana Governor Urges Clarification of Controversial Religious Freedom Law og:description: “This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples," Mike Pence said og:url: https://time.com/3765505/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c0d3c653e9eedfc/69878608cd1bbaa6616f5f13/pence-mike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Holds Press Conference og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Indiana Governor Urges Clarification of Controversial Religious Freedom Law twitter:description: “This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples," Mike Pence said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c0d3c653e9eedfc/69878608cd1bbaa6616f5f13/pence-mike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Indiana Governor Urges Clarification of Controversial Religious Freedom Law > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Real Time: Ted Cruz Rallies The Right At CPAC 2015 [Watch (HLS stream): Real Time: Ted Cruz Rallies The Right At CPAC 2015](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFQHEvq4.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2015-02-26. Ted Cruz fired up the conservative base during his speech on the first day of CPAC 2015._ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Mar 31, 2015 4:24 PM UTC  Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during a press conference March 31, 2015 at the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during a press conference March 31, 2015 at the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis.Aaron P. Bernstein—Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Mar 31, 2015 4:24 PM UTC Indiana Gov. [Mike Pence](http://time.com/3763239/mike-pence-indiana-2016-religious-freedom-law/) urged state lawmakers Tuesday to amend [a controversial new religious freedom law](http://time.com/3762656/indiana-religious-objections-law/) to clarify that it does not allow businesses to discriminate, bowing to [days of criticism](http://time.com/3764169/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom-2016-presidential-race/) that the measure was an invitation to refuse services to gay customers. “After much reflections and consultation with the leadership of the General Assembly, I’ve come to the conclusion it would be helpful to move legislation this week that makes it clear this law does not give businesses the right to deny services to anyone,” Pence said in a news conference. The clarification to the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act would explicitly state that the law does not give businesses the right to discriminate. Pence is pushing to enact the change this week. The law, which Pence signed last week, has ignited a national firestorm from opponents who decry it as anti-gay. Activists pointed to statements made by advocates of the law, who said that florists, for example, could deny service to weddings of gay couples. Business leaders, from Indiana health corporations to [Apple CEO Tim Cook](http://time.com/3762860/apple-tim-cook-discriminatory-indiana-gay-rights/), also spoke out against the law, and a movement to boycott Indiana gained traction Monday. **MORE:** [Uproar Over Religious Freedom Law Trips Up Indiana’s Governor](http://time.com/3764169/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom-2016-presidential-race/) Pence staunchly defended the law on Tuesday, even as he called for an amendment that would address what he called “mischaracterizations” about the bill. “This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples,” Pence said. “The language I’m talking about adding would be consistent with what the General Assembly intended, and certainly what I intended.” Pence said he was stunned by the backlash the law prompted. He attributed the controversy to “reckless” media coverage of the law. “Was I expecting this kind of backlash? Heavens, no,” Pence said. “Candidly, when this erupted last week, I was taken aback.” **MORE**: [5 Things to Know About Mike Pence](http://time.com/3763239/mike-pence-indiana-2016-religious-freedom-law/) A federal version of the law was enacted by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993, and an Illinois version was supported by then-Sen. Barack Obama. Almost 20 states have similar laws on the books. The law, proponents say, would protect religious liberties from government overreach. Proponents have pointed to the example of a Muslim prisoner who would want to have a beard despite prison regulations against facial hair as the kind of individual the law would seek to protect. But at a moment when same-sex marriage is increasingly sweeping the country, advocates have seized on a moment to paint it as a relic from another era. Pence, who has not ruled out a campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, has drawn [national criticism](http://time.com/3764169/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom-2016-presidential-race/) for the law, as well as support from conservatives and some GOP presidential candidates. Pence will announce whether or not he will run for president at the end of April at the earliest. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3765505/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3765505/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom/"},"headline":"Indiana Governor Urges Clarification of Controversial Religious Freedom Law","datePublished":"2015-03-31T16:24:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:05:17.235Z","description":"“This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples,\" Mike Pence said","url":"https://time.com/3765505/mike-pence-indiana-religious-freedom/","keywords":["States","LGBT"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c0d3c653e9eedfc/69878608cd1bbaa6616f5f13/pence-mike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2c0d3c653e9eedfc/69878608cd1bbaa6616f5f13/pence-mike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Indiana Gov. 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