Oklahoma House panel OKs bill to punish licensing of gay marriage
Source: Reuters
Oklahoma House panel OKs bill to punish licensing of gay marriage
BY BY HEIDE BRANDES
OKLAHOMA CITY Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:20pm EST
(Reuters) - An Oklahoma bill to punish any local or state employee who issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples will be heading to a vote in the state House of Representatives after a committee approved the legislation this week.
The bill is one of several in the Republican-dominated statehouse to impose restrictions on same-sex marriages that have been proposed after a U.S. federal judge last year ruled the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The ban remains in effect pending an appeal.
The bill called the "Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act" prohibits taxpayer funds, including government salaries, to be used for any activity that supports same-sex marriage. It also says that those who issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples can be subject to removal from office.
The bill's author, Representative Sally Kern, a Republican, said the measure is a response to U.S. courts overstepping their authority by forcing Oklahoma to recognize gay marriage.
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