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The owners of an Oregon bakery who turned away a lesbian couple who sought a wedding cake violated the state's anti-discrimination laws, state officials announced Feb. 2.

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries ruled that Aaron and Melissa Klein, who own Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, will have to pay the lesbian couple up to $150,000, USA Today is reporting. The final amount is set to be determined at a March 10 hearing, according to the report.

Bureau spokesman Charlie Burr said in a statement cited by Reuters that although Oregon law provides an exemption for religious institutions, it "does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot legally deny service based on race, sex, age, disability or religion."

He added, "The bakery is not a religious institution under the law."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/sweet-cakes-by-melissa-violation-_n_6604526.html