Apparently the thought of Oklahoma state employees having to issue marriage licenses to committed, loving, same-sex couples is so heinous that the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill to
get out of the marriage business all together:
“The point of my legislation is to take the state out of the process and leave marriage in the hands of the clergy,” said state Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, the bill’s House author. “Marriage was historically a religious covenant first and a government-recognized contract second. Under my bill, the state is not allowing or disallowing same-sex marriage. It is simply leaving it up to the clergy.”
Under House Bill 1125, marriage licenses would be replaced by marriage certificates issued by clergy and others authorized to perform marriage ceremonies. The bill passed the House 67-24 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Needless to say, advocates for marriage equality are opposed to the bill:
The executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates in behalf of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, criticized House passage of the measure.
"This legislation puts all couples who plan to marry in Oklahoma at risk of being denied hundreds of federal legal rights and protections, if it were to become law,” said Troy Stevenson, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma. “The federal government and other states will not be required to acknowledge these proposed ‘marriage certificates.’ This legislation will only result in mass confusion from clerks’ offices to courtrooms around the nation — while putting Oklahoma families at risk.”
Supporters of the bill think they are just doing
God's work:
“Marriage was not instituted by government,” said Rep. Dennis Johnson, R-Duncan. “It was instituted by God. There is no reason for Oklahoma or any state to be involved in marriage.”
Democrats who oppose the bill say it is a slippery slope:
Johnson did allow, however, that the state does have an interest in preventing such things as incest, polygamy and marriage of minors.
Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, and Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, suggested that preventing those things might be harder to do under Russ’ proposal because court clerks would no longer be in position to require proof of identity and age.
Rep. Todd Russ sponsored the bill. He's previously campaigned on
his Christian values:
"I will stand for Godly values and Godly leadership in government. We as citizens have let government take prayer out of our schools, take the Ten Commandments out of our capitols, and they continue to tell us as Christians to be quiet about our fundamental beliefs. Our Christian values are the very things that have made our state and nation so great. We as rural Oklahomans greatly influence the standards of our nation because we are part of the Bible Belt. We must engage ourselves in the political process and support a leader that is willing to stand for these values regardless of party pressures."
He has run unopposed in his last three elections.