Here we go again … Lawmakers have reintroduced the Natural Marriage Defense Act in Tennessee. The bill failed to advance when introduced in 2017 as well as in 2016, reports Gay Star News. This bill was previously estimated to cost the state about $9 billion in federal funding.
The Natural Marriage Defense Act, introduced by Republican congressmen Sen. Mark Pody and Rep. Jerry Sexton, states that the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalize same-sex marriage is void in the state of Tennessee. The reason given is that Tennessee already has its own law and constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
This bill would prohibit government officials, such as clerks who give out marriage licenses, from recognizing any ruling that affirms same-sex unions. It also specifies that they will not be arrested for failing to recognize same-sex marriages.
Additionally, the bill would require that Tennessee’s attorney general defends this law in any subsequent court challenges.
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