Earlier this year, the ERLC released its second State Policy Agenda. This agenda is designed to serve as a resource for legislators, Baptist state conventions, and Southern Baptists by highlighting state-level policy initiatives that reflect the cultural and ethical priorities of Southern Baptists. The legislation highlighted is not an exhaustive evaluation of policies state legislatures were or are considering, but a compilation of bills brought to the ERLC’s attention by Southern Baptist state ethics leaders, state conventions, other partners who share our values. It is compiled in consultation with leaders from our Southern Baptist state conventions.
The beginning of 2025 opened new legislative sessions in many state legislatures, meaning bills from previous years needed to be refiled and reconsidered. Across the country, laws were debated and voted on that matter to Southern Baptists’ interests of protecting life, bolstering religious freedom, promoting strong families and biblical sexuality, and honoring the dignity of fellow image-bearers.
As the majority of state legislatures have concluded the 2025 segment of their two-year legislative sessions, the ERLC has highlighted five important legislative outcomes from this year’s sessions included in the State Policy Agenda.
Life on Missouri ballots
A pro-life ballot measure will be before Missouri voters in the 2026 elections that would overturn the pro-abortion measures narrowly passed by 51% of voters in 2024. Amendment 3 amended the state constitution to legalize abortion through fetal viability.
Now, the Missouri legislature has approved House Joint Resolution 73, which would repeal the Amendment 3 language from the state constitution and give voters an opportunity to pass a pro-life amendment. The resolution outlaws abortions in Missouri with exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomaly, and medical emergencies. Abortions for instances of rape and incest would only be legal through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. While these are broad exceptions, abortion will continue to be legal in Missouri through roughly 24-26 weeks without this resolution. In addition, the measure will also prohibit “gender transition” medications and procedures for minors.
The ERLC highlighted a similar proposal titled House Joint Resolution 54, which was among many bills filed in Missouri to repeal this pro-abortion amendment.
Physician assisted suicide in Delaware
On May 20, Delaware became the 11th state (plus Washington, D.C.) to legalize physician assisted suicide under the guise of compassionate end-of-life care. The new law allows patients with a terminal prognosis of 6 months or less to request medication from a physician that will end their life.
Since a 1997 Supreme Court decision, the physician assisted suicide movement has gained momentum, emphasized by the three example bills the ERLC highlighted in its agenda. Across the country, 18 different states had bills to legalize this dignity-defying practice. As Southern Baptists, we hold that physician assisted suicide is not healthcare. Pain and suffering at the end of life call for compassionate treatment that supports a God-honoring culture of life which is not accomplished through euthanasia.
Religious Liberty endangered in Colorado
Colorado made national headlines with a legislative proposal titled the “Kelly Loving Act,” which proposed radical changes to make “misgendering” and “deadnaming” discriminatory acts under state law. Moreover, the bill would have allowed state courts to use a parent’s adherence to their child’s biological gender against them in custody disputes.
As grassroots efforts took shape, the ERLC joined the Colorado Baptists in urging the Colorado Senate and Governor Polis not to enact this harmful law. While substantial changes were made to the bill, such as removing the custody dispute provision, it still compels speech by requiring people to use others “preferred pronouns” and “chosen names” in places of public accommodation.
Already, a lawsuit challenging the implementation of this unloving law has been filed by a Colorado clothing apparel store that only recognizes the two biological genders.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) serves as a support pillar to our First Amendment religious liberty protections by requiring the government to meet the highest standards (known as strict scrutiny) when potentially burdening religious exercise. A Supreme Court decision in 1997 clarified that RFRA was only enforceable at the federal level, prompting states to enact their own protections through state-level RFRAs.
To date, 37 states have some level of RFRA protections through legislation or court precedent. Most recently, Georgia passed Senate Bill 36, a state-level RFRA and top priority for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. This bill followed Wyoming legislators enacting House Bill 207. It is important that residents of every state be afforded their constitutional rights to live out the tenets of their faith without infringement from the government.
Protecting women and girls in sports
In an effort to protect girls from competing against biological men, Georgia passed the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act to amend language in state law to require schools’ sports teams be separated by biological sex. It also requires private places like bathrooms and locker rooms to be biological sex-specific in order to protect girls from changing with men.
Currently, 27 states have laws that require sports at varying levels be separated by biological sex, and an additional two require it through state regulations.
The Supreme Court recently announced it would be hearing a case next term on laws that prohibit transgender individuals from participating in sports that do not align with his or her biological sex. The outcome of this case will have an affect across the country on state laws. Oral arguments have not yet been scheduled, but a decision is not anticipated until 2026.
