Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) is set to formally announce his intention to run for the Republican presidential candidacy later this afternoon. Known for his conservative Catholic beliefs born out of a conversion from Hinduism at the age of 16, Jindal has exercised his religious rights alongside his governmental roll, including calling for a “spiritual revival” to “fix what ails our country” during a highly controversial prayer rally hosted by the American Family Association earlier this year.
Although the event was identified as separate from his political responsibilities, Jindal has a significant history of tying conservative religious ideology into his political work. Here are five examples of Jindal’s most controversial legislative and ideological moves:
Approved The Inclusion of Unverified Scientific Theories in Public School Education
The Louisiana Science Education Act was signed into action during Jindal’s first year in office. The bill encourages the fostering of “critical thinking” by diversifying science education away from standard scientific consensus into other ambiguously described alternative theories, including allowing educators to provide their own teaching and reading materials at their own discretion.
Although religion is not explicitly stated in the legislation, critics of the bill believe it was as an agent of Jindal’s publicly held desire to further integrate traditional Christian values, particularly through the use of the creation theory. “I think that local school districts, not the federal government, should make the decision about how they teach science, biology, economics,” Jindal said at a Christian Science Monitor event last September. “I want my kids to be taught about evolution; I want my kids to be taught about other theories.”
Took Excessive Action to Protect Discrimination Against the LGBT Community
Under the pretense of protecting religious liberty, the proposed Marriage and Conscience Act sought to prevent the state from taking legal action against acts of sexual orientation discrimination including refusal of service or sale in a business setting. The bill also worked to ban future marriage equality legislation. The act was eventually struck down at the House level, but Jindal didn’t stop there. Last month, Jindal issued an executive order to enact the majority of the intents of the original bill.
Expresses Anti-Islamic Immigration Sentiments
In January, Jindal received significant backlash for his anti-Islamic immigration sentiments shared on the Family Research Council’s Washington Watch radio show. Jindal expressed fear of an Islamic takeover and imposition of Sharia Law in the U.S. “If they want to come here and they want to set up their own culture and values that’s not immigration, that’s really invasion if you’re honest about it,” Jindal said on-air.
In an address to London’s Henry Jackson Society, Jindal stated that it is, “completely reasonable” for the U.S. to, “discriminate between allowing people into their country who want to embrace their culture, or allowing people into their country who want to destroy their culture, or establish a separate culture within,” when referring to “non-assimilationist Muslims.” Jindal has since taken to Fox News to rebuke these claims.
Refuses to Enforce Comprehensive Sex Education In State Education Curriculum
Jindal has been an outspoken critic of sex ed. curriculum, describing sex education as, “decisions that are best made by parents and local communities, not state government.” Last year, Jindal signed a bill which restricts certain groups, including Planned Parenthood from providing in-school sex education, which is non-compulsory and extremely limited to begin with. In Louisiana, teachers are required to stick to abstinence-based education, and bills which have advocated for a more comprehensive approach including topics such as contraceptives and STIs, have been consistently shot down.
Maintains Anti-Abortion Policy, Hampers Developments in Family Planning
Jindal has held his pro-life views close, continuing Louisiana’s history of strict abortion restrictions and few accessible family planning options. According to the Guttmacher Institute, as of January 13, 2015 women wishing to seek an abortion the state will be required to undergo significant counseling including information intended to discourage the procedure, health insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act state exchange may not cover abortions, and women must undergo an ultrasound, and have the image shown to them, before receiving an abortion. According to a survey released by the Associated Press earlier this month, Louisiana is one of only two states who has not seen a decrease in abortion rates since 2010.
The governor has been on heightened defense regarding abortion rights as of late, responding to Hillary Clinton’s recent Women in the World Summit address as “crazy talk,” stating that, “religious beliefs are between us and God, not us and Hillary Clinton.” During her keynote address last month, Clinton commented on the state of women’s reproductive health. “Rights have to exist in practice, not just on paper,” she said. “Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”