Oklahoma: Bill would let state to stop issuing marriage licenses
OKLAHOMA CITY — Marriage licenses would become a thing of the past in Oklahoma under a bill filed by state Rep. Todd Russ.
The Cordell, Oklahoma Republican — a credentialed Assemblies of God minister upset with rulings that have supported gay marriage — says he wants to protect court clerks from having to issue licenses to same-sex couples. He doesn’t want these workers put in the position of having to condone or facilitate same-sex marriage.
Under his plan, a religious official would sign a couple’s marriage certificate, which would then be filed with the clerk. Marriages would no longer be performed by judges. If a couple did not have a religious official to preside over their wedding, they could file an affidavit of common law marriage.
Same-sex marriage became legal in Oklahoma in October. That’s when the high court declined to review a federal court decision striking down a voter-approved ban on the practice. It is now legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia. On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to determine whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.
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