Thousands of Hoosiers rallied against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) on March 28. Republicans, Democrats, and independents gathered on the lawn in front of the Indiana Statehouse to protest the controversial bill, which was signed by Governor Mike Pence on March 27. Several companies, including major employers such as Eli Lilly, Salesforce, Anthem, IU Health, and Cummins came out against the RFRA, voicing their concern that the law would make it difficult to attract and retain employees. Reaction to the bill was swift, making national and international headlines. On March 30, The City-County Council passed an ordinance opposing RFRA by a 24-4 vote in front of a standing-room only crowd.
Governor Pence has defended the bill in the media, stating it does not allow discrimination. He later called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would make clear that business owners could not discriminate.
