State Legislators Renew Battle Against Same-sex Marriage Decrees
n what has been described as a new front in the battle over same-sex marriage, legislators in several states under judicial orders to confer marital status on same-sex couples have introduced bills to forbid state or local officials from issuing marriage licenses to couples of the same gender. The bills would also strip the salaries of employees who issued the licenses, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The bills have been introduced in the legislatures of Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas, with South Carolina also considering a bill that would allow officials to opt out of issuing such licenses if it conflicts with their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Lawmakers in North Carolina and Utah have bills before them with similar opt-out provisions. And Roy Moore, chief justice of Alabama, has told officials in his state that they need not comply with a federal court order in favor of same-sex...