North Carolina governor to veto gay marriage recusal bill
McCrory defies legislature, says he'll "defend the Constitution"
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) on Thursday said he’ll veto a bill allowing state officials to recuse themselves from providing marriage licenses or performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples, just hours after the House of Representatives approved the bill.
Senate Bill 2, as written, would have allowed a magistrate, assistant register of deeds or deputy register of deeds will have the right to recuse themselves from issuing a marriage license or performing a marriage that they believe violates their religious beliefs. Under the bill, the chief district court judge or register of deeds would have to make other arrangements to allow interested couples to obtain a marriage license from or get married by another magistrate or register. The act would have also protected those who recused themselves from any threat of legal action.
The passage of the bill led several pro-LGBT groups to call on McCrory to veto the measure.
“I recognize that for many North Carolinians, including myself, opinions of same-sex marriage come from sincerely held religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman,” McCrory said in a statement. “However, we are a nation and a state of laws. Whether it is the president, governor, mayor, a law enforcement officer, or magistrate, no public official who voluntarily swears to support and defend the Constitution and to discharge all duties of their office should be exempt from upholding that oath; therefore, I will veto Senate Bill 2.”
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