OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Judges or court clerks who issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples would lose their jobs under a bill that has been approved by a House committee.
The House Judiciary and Civil Procedure Committee voted 5-3 on Feb. 17 for the “Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act.” The bill now proceeds to the full House for a vote.
The bill provides that any state or local employee who officially recognizes, grants or enforces a same-sex marriage license would no longer receive a state salary or pension.
The House author of the bill, Oklahoma City Republican Rep. Sally Kern, says she believes the U.S. Supreme Court has overstepped its authority by forcing Oklahoma to recognize gay marriages.
Gay rights groups have called Kern’s bill discriminatory.
