Fearing Another Lawsuit, Christian Business Owners Stopped Hosting All Weddings, Now Their Business Is Dead

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Charged with discriminating against a gay couple, the owners of another Christian family-run business are being forced to shut their doors.

“We can’t pretend it’s going to get better,” Betty Odgaard told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. “There wasn’t enough business.”

Betty and her husband, Richard, are the owners of Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa. In 2002, they purchased the 77-year-old stone church and transformed it into a bistro, flower shop, art gallery and wedding venue.

On August 3, 2013, a gay couple from Des Moines asked to rent Görtz Haus for their wedding.

Because of their Mennonite faith, the Odgaards told the couple they could not host their wedding.

Within 24 hours, the couple filed a discrimination complaint through the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

“We knew that the business was going to be in trouble almost immediately,” Richard, 69, said. “We had to get rid of the wedding business to avoid another complaint and possibly a higher penalty.”

The Odgaards never admitted to any discrimination, but agreed to a $5,000 settlement.

They also returned two non-refundable deposits for couples who, after hearing media reports, didn’t want to use their space for their weddings anymore.

“It was just the right thing to do,” Richard said.

Going On Life Support

After leaving the wedding business, Görtz Haus went on life support.

If they continued to offer wedding-related services, the Odgaards knew they could be subject to another discrimination complaint.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Betty, 63 said. “We would be targets.”

Around town, Görtz Haus became known as the business that refuses to serve gays.

If a group of ladies went to lunch and one disagreed with their opinion not to host same-sex weddings, the entire group boycotted the bistro, the Odgaards explained.

“They didn’t come in because the people who are against us are more vocal than the people who are in our court,” Richard said.

Betty said the situation drove her into a “really dark depression”—so bad, that she had to seek the help of professionals.

“I’m a melancholy artist and no stranger to depression, but this took me down to the darkest I’ve ever been before,” she said.

The case was the first of its kind in Iowa, but it didn’t receive the same sort of media attention as the bakers in Oregon, the photographers in New Mexico or the farmers in New York.

The couple says that’s because pending litigation prevented them from being able to speak out, further isolating them from their community.

“We didn’t get the Chick-fil-A response,” Richard half-heartedly joked.

Iowa’s Involvement

The Odgaards don’t blame the gay community for shutting them down, but rather, the state of Iowa.

“I think if people in Iowa would have had a chance to vote on this, it would have never have been this way. People in Iowa are pretty conservative,” Betty said.

“With the discrimination laws and the legality of same-sex marriage in this state, now you have to prove that you didn’t discriminate,” added Richard.

The Odgaards also feel they never got their day in court, and had the case turned out differently, they might not have been driven out of business.

“This was all administrative judgement,” Richard said. “The [gay couple] had a platform to file their case and we didn’t get our day in court with a jury of our peers.”

Like the other lawsuits involving charges of discrimination, complaints are filed—and judged—in the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

“We knew what the outcome was going to be, the judge knew what the outcome was going to be, but we had to go through it,” Richard said.

Originally, the gay couple asked for $10,000, but lawyers for the Odgaards at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty were able to negotiate a settlement for half that amount.

“Now the precedent has been set,” Richard said. “The administrative process has demonstrated what it will do if this happens, so it’s a matter of setting somebody up and collecting money. It’s that simple. It’s all they have to do.”

Moving On

Yesterday, the Odgaards spent the day calling vendors and sharing the news that by the end of August, they’ll be closed completely.

“We have to look on the positive side, but just telling our family what we are doing, telling vendors the decision that we’ve made, it’s been very tough,” Betty said.

The couple has decided to take their story and use it to advocate for Christian teachings by creating God’s Original Design Ministry.

With the ministry, they hope to promote the importance of religious liberty, “regardless of what your religion is,” Richard said.

They received their nonprofit status earlier than expected, which they took as a sign from God.

As for the future of Görtz Haus, the Odgaards hope that it will return to its original function: a church.

“That would be the most wonderful option,” Betty said. (“Fearing Another Lawsuit, Christian Business Owners Stopped Hosting All Weddings. Now Their Business Is Dead”, originally posted HERE)

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Who’s at Fault? 18 Million Government Workers Exposed and No One to Blame

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Fox News has learned that the number of victims of a pair of massive cyberattacks on U.S. government personnel files has soared to at least 18 million — but the head of the hacked Office of Personnel Management refuses to blame anyone in her agency.

“I don’t believe anyone is personally responsible,” OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said Tuesday.

The statement came during tense Capitol Hill testimony on a breach that seems to be growing wider by the day. Archuleta, who faced tough questioning at a House hearing last week, likewise faced angry senators on Tuesday before a Senate appropriations subcommittee.

Grilled on whether anyone takes responsibility, Archuleta said only the perpetrators should be blamed — she said current failures result from decades of meager investment in security systems, but said changes are being made and in fact helped detect the latest breaches.

Still, the assurances are unlikely to ease concerns on Capitol Hill and among those who may have been affected. The web has expanded to include not just current and former government workers, but also those who may have applied for a government job. (Read more from “Who’s at Fault? 18 Million Government Workers Exposed and No One to Blame” HERE)

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Report: Sweeping New Hostage Policy Due to ‘Idiot’ at State Dept, WILL Harm Americans

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The federal government will stop threatening families with criminal prosecution for attempting to pay ransom for loved ones taken hostage by terrorist groups, President Barack Obama will announce Wednesday in an executive order clarifying and changing the way the government handles hostage situations. The sweeping new policy is due to “an idiot” at the Department of State, an official close to the review process told The Daily Caller News Foundation– and “it’s going to encourage more kidnappings of U.S. service members and U.S. diplomats stationed abroad, and it’s going to make Americans targets.”

The changes are the result of an extensive review of federal policy regarding hostages abroad. Obama ordered the review in December after frustrated family members of current and former hostages complained about the process, and in light of changing national security realities, such as the rise of ISIS, since the policy was written in 2000.

The official told TheDCNF that the Justice Department has not wanted to issue blanket immunity because there are times when a duress defense would not hold up in court, such as if the a family crowd-sourced for ransom money. That, the officials said, is because providing material support to terrorists is a blatant violation of U.S. law. Other agencies also opposed the change.

It’s long been an unofficial policy to turn the other way if a family tries to pay a ransom, but making that policy official could prove problematic if non-family members try to get financially involved or if family members try to solicit the public for the money they need to pay a ransom.

“This is really media-driven,” the official told TheDCNF. “The White House wants this issue to go away.” (Read more from “Report: Sweeping New Hostage Policy Due to ‘Idiot’ at State Dept, WILL Harm Americans” HERE)

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10 Years After This City Seized a Woman’s Land: An Empty Lot

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It’s been a decade since the city of New London, Conn. forcibly took the Fort Trumbull neighborhood for what became private-development, and now all that remains is an empty lot.

In 1998, the area surrounding the waterfront neighborhood saw an increased surge of economic development. This prompted city officials to decide the Fort Trumbull could be better used for other purposes.

According to the Institute for Justice, the plan was to take the land from the residents and give it to the New London Development Corporation (NLDC), a private body. Eminent domain allows the government to take land for the purposes of the public good so long as property owners are offered just compensation.

Residents, however, did not like the idea. In an effort to protect their homes, Susette Kelo and her neighbors took their city to court. After years of fighting, Kelo v. City of New London went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. To the dismay of the residents, however, the court ruled in 2005 in favor of New London.

“When I first started this battle, it was about me and this little pink house,” Kelo told The Daily Signal. “But it grew into something much bigger than that. It turned into a nationwide battle to save the Fort Trumbull neighborhood.” (Read more from “10 Years After This City Seized a Woman’s Land: An Empty Lot” HERE)

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Study: Electric Cars Worse for Environment Than Gas Powered Cars

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A study published by the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research found that on a per-mile basis electric cars were on average worse for the environment when compared to their gas-run counterparts.

The study concluded that on average per mile, electric cars were half a cent worse for the environment than gas-powered vehicles.

The environmental effects of the different vehicles depended largely on where they were driven. In urban areas, electric vehicles performed better, while the opposite occurred once the cars left the city. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, electric vehicles were 3 cents worse for the environment per mile, while in Los Angeles, they performed 3.3 cents better per mile.

The authors of the study believe that this is an important distinction, especially when taking into account the federal government pays a $7,500 subsidy for every electric car purchased.

“Because electric vehicles, on average, generate greater environmental externalities than gasoline vehicles, the current federal policy has greater deadweight loss than the no-subsidy policy,” wrote the authors in their study. (Read more from “Study: Electric Cars Worse for Environment Than Gas Powered Cars” HERE)

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Obama: Americans Have Distorted Impression of Muslims

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Speaking at the annual White House Iftar dinner on Monday night, President Barack Obama explained the unfair stereotypes that Muslim Americans have to deal with in the United States and called on others to support their community.

The Iftar dinner is to honor the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which marks the time when Muslims believe that the Koran was shown to the prophet Muhammad for the first time. The holiday, which began last week, goes on for a month. During the time, Muslims fast during the day in remembrance of their leader.

In his remarks, the President spoke about the “distorted impression” many Americans have of Muslims.

“Here in America, many people personally don’t know someone who is Muslim,” he said. “They mostly hear about Muslims in the news – and that can obviously lead to a very distorted impression.”

He also said that the dinner “is also a reminder of the freedoms that bind us together as Americans, including the freedom of religion – that inviolable right to practice our faiths freely,” USA Today reported. (Read more from “Obama: Americans Have Distorted Impression of Muslims” HERE)

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Mike Huckabee on Charleston: God Already Solved Racism [+video]

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In a discussion with Fox News’ Ed Henry, [Mike] Huckabee was criticized for flip-flopping on the Confederate flag issue.

“You say voters want a leader, somebody who will stand up,” Henry noted. “A few days ago, I saw you asked right here on Fox about the Confederate flag issue down in South Carolina and you basically punted, and said it’s a state issue.”

“Is that leadership?” asked Henry.

“I didn’t punt at all,” Huckabee said. “I think we’ve missed the real point in this. When I’m asked that question as a presidential candidate, what I’m being baited for is, is South Carolina a racist state?”

“And so what I said was, Ed, as a frequent visitor to South Carolina, I look at this objectively,” he continued. “You’ve got a female governor who is of Indian descent, you have the only elected African-American U.S. senator in the South from a state of 4.8 million people, elected largely by people who are mostly white. That’s not racism.” (Read more from “Mike Huckabee on Charleston: God Already Solved Racism” HERE)

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Cruz Flips Against TPA/ Fast Track; Sessions Hammers ObamaTrade [+video]

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Citing corruption, “backroom deal-making,” and leaks that show the Obama administration is violating its assurances not to include immigration in its trade agreements, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas; shown on left) reversed his earlier support for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and voted Tuesday against the cloture measure to end debate on Fast Track authority for the president. Even with Cruz’s defection, however, President Obama and his Republican allies in the Senate succeeded in getting the 60-vote super-majority they needed to cut off debate. The 60-37 vote sets up a vote on TPA itself, which is scheduled for Wednesday. If it passes then, it will go to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law. Although most commentators are viewing TPA passage now as a done deal, it is still possible that it could be derailed again, as recent history has shown the battles over these pseudo-“free trade” pacts are full of surprises.

In an op-ed published on Brietbart.com today, Senator Cruz explained why he has switched from pro to anti on TPA. “The American people do not trust President Obama. And they do not trust Republican leadership in Congress,” Cruz wrote. “And the reason is simple: for far too long, politicians in Washington have not told the truth.”

As a general matter, Cruz said, he supports free trade. “But TPA in this Congress has become enmeshed in corrupt Washington backroom deal-making, along with serious concerns that it would open up the potential for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include,” the Texas senator noted.

Since his earlier pro-TPA vote on May 22, Cruz says, two troubling material changes have come to light. The first was the revelation by WikiLeaks regarding the secret Trade in Services Agreement, or TiSA, which President Obama is attempting to use to open the immigration floodgates.

Another straw that broke the camel’s back for Cruz was the deal-making by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), promising a corporate welfare plum to Democrats and Republicans alike, in the form of billions of dollars for the U.S. Export-Import Bank. (Read more from “Cruz Flips Against TPA/ Fast Track; Sessions Hammers ObamaTrade” HERE)

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GOP Cannot Give in to Obama’s ‘Great Internet Giveaway’

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The government’s job is simple: to protect freedom and promote free markets. And the Republican Party — which currently controls both chambers of the U.S. Congress — bills itself as the party of individual responsibility and economic growth. Furthermore, in 2011 and again in 2015, the GOP obtained its legislative power because the American people were fed up with the Obama administration’s overreach.

Unfortunately, upon arriving in Washington, far too many Republicans have decided to follow the path of accommodation and appeasement rather than standing on principle — and standing for the people who put them in office. This “go along to get along” mentality — championed by far too many GOP leaders — has empowered Obama’s liberal, rogue bureaucracies on multiple fronts.

One of these is the “great Internet giveaway” — Obama’s effort to surrender effective control of the World Wide Web to a group of multinational corporate interests and nonprofits (or if that fails, a United Nations bureaucracy).

President Obama’s Commerce Department — specifically the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) — wants to take the Web’s most essential operational functions and cede them to the “global Internet community.” Among these core functions are the resources provided by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which coordinates all of the Internet’s globally unique identifiers (domain names, number resources, protocol assignments, etc.). This is literally the nuts and bolts of the web; its essential underlying architecture. Currently, the U.S. Department of Commerce contracts out responsibility for IANA to a Los Angeles-based nonprofit called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

This relationship has secured a free and open Internet for nearly two decades, driving innovation and preventing censorship of content. Why would Obama want to undo that? According to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), a staunch supporter of Internet freedom, the proposed giveaway is yet another attempt by the administration to undermine U.S. sovereignty — in the process, “jeopardizing the freedoms of billions of citizens the world over.” (Read more from “GOP Cannot Give in to Obama’s ‘Great Internet Giveaway'” HERE)

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Israeli Diplomat: Obama Reaches out to Islam Because Two Muslim Father Figures Abandoned Him

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In an op-ed published Friday, Kulanu Knesset member and former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren speculates that President Barack Obama’s relentless outreach to the Muslim world may stem from the fact that he was abandoned by the two Muslim father figures in his life and therefore seeks acceptance by their co-religionists.

In the article, in Foreign Policy Magazine, Oren also posits that the world may look back on Obama’s approach to Middle East issues as naive and hard to credit.

The piece marks Oren’s third op-ed critical of Obama published in major US media in less than a week. In the first of the series, the former ambassador published “How Obama abandoned Israel” in the Wall Street Journal, followed by “Why Obama is wrong about Iran being ‘rational’ on nukes,” in the Los Angeles Times. He also gave a lengthy interview to the Times of Israel this week in which he echoed charges in his new book, “Ally,” to the effect that aspects of US-Israel ties are “in tatters” because of the president.

The Obama administration responded bitterly to Oren’s earlier criticism of the president, calling it “absolutely false.” His opposite number, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, said Oren was motivated by a desire to sell books. But while freshman MK Oren’s party leader Moshe Kahlon on Wednesday apologized and distanced the party from the Wall Street Journal piece, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly refused a US request to do likewise.

In the Foreign Policy article Friday, Oren writes that “Obama’s attitudes toward Islam clearly stem from his personal interactions with Muslims. These were described in depth in his candid memoir, ‘Dreams from My Father,’ published 13 years before his election as president. Obama wrote passionately of the Kenyan villages where, after many years of dislocation, he felt most at home and of his childhood experiences in Indonesia. I could imagine how a child raised by a Christian mother might see himself as a natural bridge between her two Muslim husbands. I could also speculate how that child’s abandonment by those men could lead him, many years later, to seek acceptance by their co-religionists.” (Read more from “Oren: Obama May Reach out to Islam Because Two Muslim Father Figures Abandoned Him” HERE)

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