Indiana Hires PR Firm To Repair Image After Religious Freedom Fight

Opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, march past the Indiana Statehouse en route to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4, 2015 to push for a state law that spe... Opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, march past the Indiana Statehouse en route to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4, 2015 to push for a state law that specifically bars discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler) MORE LESS
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Indiana announced Monday that it had hired a public relations firm to repair its image after a bruising fight over a controversial religious freedom bill that Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed into law.

Indiana’s Economic Development Corp. and Office of Tourism Development on Monday announced hiring the public relations firm Porter Novelli “to restore Indiana’s image after the recent controversy surrounding” the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, according to the Associated Press.

The law opened the door to businesses being allowed to refuse to serve gay people based on religious objections.

Pence’s decision to sign the proposal into law won him national criticism and he was pressured into clarifying the law so that it would not allow discrimination of any type.

A new poll on Monday released by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner research found that 85 percent of Indianans felt business owners shouldn’t be allowed to refuse to serve a customer based on sexuality. The poll was commissioned by the pro-gay rights advocacy group The Human Rights Campaign. It was conducted between April 7 and April 9. Pence signed the law on April 2.

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