Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill that would amend Tennessee Law so that individuals and organizations cannot be compelled to recognize same sex marriages passed in a 5 to 1 vote in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on Tuesday.
Sponsored by Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood-District 61), House Bill 1473 (HB1473) would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-113, by adding a new subsection.
According to the bill’s text, the proposed legislation would read, “Private citizens and organizations are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or by the Supreme Court’s purported interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), and no private citizen or organization in this state is required to recognize a marriage or a purported marriage between individuals of the same sex, notwithstanding any other law.”
In addition, the legislation would prohibit the Tennessee Judiciary board from disciplining, sanctioning, or threatening to discipline or sanction any person for “declining to celebrate or officiate at a marriage or commitment ceremony” that falls outside the state’s definition of marriage which explicitly classifies the institution as between one man and one woman.
The bill will go next to the House Judiciary Committee.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
