Texas bill allowing magistrates to deny marriage licenses moving through Senate
By Jeff Taylor · Wednesday, April 12, 2017
A bill that would allow magistrates in Texas to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples is moving steadily through the Senate.
Senate Bill 522 won approval with a 21-10 vote on Tuesday, with full Republican support and all but one Democrat opposing it, the Associated Press reports.
A final vote, expected to come on Wednesday, sends it on to the state House. If passed, the bill would allow magistrates with a religious objection to gay marriage to opt out of issuing a license, provided another official is willing to step in and grant it. If one cannot be found within the county, it proposes that documents could be sent electronically so as not to unduly delay the process.
The Texas legislature only meets once every two years, and so was unable to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, occurring in June 2015, legalizing same-sex marriage until now.
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https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/04/texas-bill-allowing-magistrates-deny-marriage-licenses-moving-senate
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