News Notes: Bush Issues New Executive Order Furthering Faith-Based Initiative

President Bush has issued a new Executive order exempting religious organizations that contract with the U.S. government from prohibitions on religious discrimination in hiring. The order, part of his “faith-based initiative,” applies to religious corporations, associations, educational institutions, and societies. It does not, however, release religious groups from complying with other state and local anti-bias laws or from an existing Executive order that prohibits bias by contractors who do more than $10,000 a year in federal government business.