Bill letting clerks opt out of gay marriage licenses advances
The House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved legislation allowing county clerks to opt out of issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples over religious objections to the practice.
The committee approved Senate Bill 522 on an 8-3 party-line vote, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.
Under SB 522, county clerks would be allowed to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as long as an assistant clerk or judge is willing to provide the service.
If a clerk or a judge isn’t available, the bill would require county leaders to appoint an employee — or hire a contract worker — to provide marriage licenses to gay couples. If no local employee is available, an agreement could be reached with nearby counties to provide the service electronically, the bill’s author, state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, said during Senate debate of the bill in April.
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/bill-letting-clerks-opt-out-gay-marriage-licenses-advances/4ztNdicbFMlrbVjX1wNsSN/
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