{"id":2371234,"date":"2024-11-20T12:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T17:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/co-pays-1-5-million-for-violating-residents-religious-freedoms\/"},"modified":"2024-11-20T12:12:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T17:12:18","slug":"co-pays-1-5-million-for-violating-residents-religious-freedoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/co-pays-1-5-million-for-violating-residents-religious-freedoms\/","title":{"rendered":"CO Pays $1.5 Million For Violating Resident&#8217;s Religious Freedoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fco-pays-1-5-million-for-violating-residents-religious-freedoms%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2371234&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a recent development, Colorado officials \u200bhave\u200c agreed to pay over $1.5 million in legal fees to Christian resident Lorie Smith after violating her First Amendment rights concerning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-churches-finally-got-help-from-scotus-and-it-was-a-huge-blow-to-gavin-newsom\/\" title=\"CA Churches Finally Got Help from SCOTUS and It Was a Huge Blow to Gavin Newsom\">religious freedom<\/a>. This decision stems\u2062 from a\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">lengthy legal \u2062battle lasting<\/a> seven years, \u200bduring \u2063which Smith, the owner\u2063 of 303 Creative, faced \u2063pressure to design wedding\u200c websites for same-sex couples, contrary\u200c to her Christian \u2062beliefs about marriage. The case escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in \u200dfavor of Smith, affirming that the government cannot compel individuals to contravene their religious convictions. Smith praised the settlement as a victory not just for herself but for all Americans, emphasizing the importance \u2062of First Amendment protections.\u2062 The ruling \u200dhas\u2062 met with support\u2063 from religious \u2064freedom advocates, who argue\u2062 it reinforces \u200bthe need for \u200dindividuals \u200bto express their beliefs without governmental \u2062interference. Similar cases have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-hands-karine-jean-pierre-a-promotion-effective-immediately\/\" title=\"Joe Biden Hands Karine Jean-Pierre a Promotion Effective Immediately\">highlighted ongoing tensions<\/a> \u2064in Colorado between individual rights and anti-discrimination \u2063laws,\u200b as \u200dseen with other Christian artists facing legal challenges\u200c for their \u200bbeliefs.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K49_zasTVMM\">Alliance Defending Freedom\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/20\/colorado-to-pay-1-5-million-for-violating-christian-residents-religious-freedoms\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Colorado%20To%20Pay%20%241.5%20Million%20For%20Violating%20Christian%20Resident%E2%80%99s%20Religious%20Freedoms&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/20\/colorado-to-pay-1-5-million-for-violating-christian-residents-religious-freedoms\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Colorado%20To%20Pay%20%241.5%20Million%20For%20Violating%20Christian%20Resident%E2%80%99s%20Religious%20Freedoms&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/20\/colorado-to-pay-1-5-million-for-violating-christian-residents-religious-freedoms\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/20\/colorado-to-pay-1-5-million-for-violating-christian-residents-religious-freedoms\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Colorado%20To%20Pay%20%241.5%20Million%20For%20Violating%20Christian%20Resident%E2%80%99s%20Religious%20Freedoms&amp;body='This%20is%20a%20win%20not%20just%20for%20me%20but%20for%C2%A0all%C2%A0Americans%20%E2%80%94%20for%20those%20who%20share%20my%20beliefs%C2%A0and%C2%A0for%20those%20who%20hold%20different%20views,'%20Lorie%20Smith%20said.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/11\/20\/colorado-to-pay-1-5-million-for-violating-christian-residents-religious-freedoms\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>On Tuesday, Colorado officials agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in legal fees to Christian resident Lorie Smith for violating her First Amendment right to religious freedom.<\/p>\n<p>The court-approved <a href=\"https:\/\/adfmedialegalfiles.blob.core.windows.net\/files\/303CreativeNoticeOfSettlement.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">settlement<\/a> comes after seven years of legal attacks waged by left-wing activists against Smith and her design studio, 303 Creative. As The Federalist&rsquo;s Jordan Boyd <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/30\/in-landmark-free-speech-decision-supreme-court-rules-government-cant-force-americans-like-lorie-smith-to-violate-religious-beliefs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, despite being willing to work with any customer regardless of background, the Christian designer was targeted for declining to make &ldquo;wedding websites celebrating same-sex couples because it would violate her constitutional right to exercise her Christian belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-957d5841dbb773a5d99b63cfb358a0fe fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-957d5841dbb773a5d99b63cfb358a0fe\"><\/div>\n<p>Colorado officials attempted to force Smith to violate her Christian beliefs by citing a so-called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/colorado\/2016\/title-24\/principal-departments\/article-34\/part-6\/section-24-34-601#:~:text=(2)%20(a)%20It,enjoyment%20of%20the%20goods%2C%20services%2C\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;anti-discrimination&rdquo; act<\/a>, ignoring her First Amendment rights in the process. <\/p>\n<p>The case ultimately made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/30\/in-landmark-free-speech-decision-supreme-court-rules-government-cant-force-americans-like-lorie-smith-to-violate-religious-beliefs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2022 decision<\/a>, ruled (6-3) that the government cannot mandate Smith to betray her religious convictions. Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/30\/in-landmark-free-speech-decision-supreme-court-rules-government-cant-force-americans-like-lorie-smith-to-violate-religious-beliefs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">noted<\/a> that the &ldquo;First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong>[READ:[READ:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/30\/8-straight-fire-quotes-from-neil-gorsuchs-defense-of-free-speech-in-303-creative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8 Straight-Fire Quotes From Neil Gorsuch&rsquo;s Defense Of Free Speech In&nbsp;<em>303 Creative<\/em><\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Responding to Tuesday&rsquo;s agreement, Smith thanked Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys for representing her in the case and celebrated the settlement as a victory for &ldquo;<em>all<\/em> Americans.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-686153861e578974a46ff290fc016b91 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-686153861e578974a46ff290fc016b91\"><\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;As the Supreme Court said, I&rsquo;m free to create art consistent with my beliefs without fear of Colorado punishing me anymore,&rdquo; she said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/adfmedia.org\/case\/303-creative-v-elenis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a>. &ldquo;This is a win not just for me but for&nbsp;<em>all<\/em>&nbsp;Americans &mdash; for those who share my beliefs&nbsp;<em>and<\/em>&nbsp;for those who hold different views.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Alliance Defending Freedom CEO and President Kristen Waggoner also <a href=\"https:\/\/adfmedia.org\/case\/303-creative-v-elenis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">celebrated<\/a> Tuesday&rsquo;s developments, reiterating that &ldquo;Colorado officials have paid and will continue to pay a high price when they violate this foundational freedom.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;First Amendment protections are non-negotiable,&rdquo; Waggoner said. &ldquo;Billions of people around the world believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and that men and women are biologically distinct. No government has the right to silence individuals for expressing these ideas or to punish those who decline to express different views.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith is hardly the only Christian targeted by left-wing activists and Centennial State officials for her religious beliefs. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2513828f2ce2fdf748fe6a04b40e60e8 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2513828f2ce2fdf748fe6a04b40e60e8\"><\/div>\n<p>Since 2012, Colorado cake artist <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jack-phillips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jack Phillips<\/a> has been the victim of never-ending lawfare for his Christian beliefs regarding marriage and sex. Unhinged LGBT radicals have filed <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/10\/16\/colorado-supreme-court-narrowly-dismisses-jack-phillips-persecution-for-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">numerous suits<\/a> over the years seeking to weaponize the government to force Phillips to abandon core tenets of his faith. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ae3a15e68483433c59a0d24e1aa510f8 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ae3a15e68483433c59a0d24e1aa510f8\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/303-creative\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">303 creative<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/303-creative-llc-v-elenis\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">303 Creative LLC v. Elenis<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/christianity\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Christianity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/colorado\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Colorado<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/first-amendmenrt\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">First Amendmenrt<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/lorie-smith\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Lorie Smith<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/marriage\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">marriage<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/religious-freedom\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">religious freedom<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Supreme Court<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Tuesday, Colorado agreed to pay over $1.5 million in legal fees to Lorie Smith for infringing on her First Amendment right to religious freedom<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2371235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Lorie-Smith.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[45377,18741,40675],"class_list":["post-2371234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-1-5-million","tag-co","tag-religious-freedoms"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Lorie-Smith.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2371234"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2371238,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371234\/revisions\/2371238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2371235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2371234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2371234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2371234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}