North Carolina is getting major backlash again from liberals. On Tuesday, four NC House Republicans introduced a bill to make same-sex marriage illegal.
The lawmakers cited the 10th Amendment stating that the U.S. Supreme Court “overstepped its constitutional bounds” and in reference to the “decree of Almighty God” by legalizing same-sex marriage.
“Marriages, whether created by common law, contracted, or performed outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in North Carolina,” the House Bill 780, titled “Uphold Historical Marriage Act” states. “The General Assembly of the State of North Carolina declares that the Obergefell v. Hodges decision of the United States Supreme Court of 2015 is null and void in the State of North Carolina, and that the State of North Carolina shall henceforth uphold and enforce Section 6 of Article XIV of the North Carolina Constitution, the opinion and objection of the United States Supreme Court notwithstanding.”
The bill also quotes the Bible saying that the former Obergefell v. Hodges ruling “exceeds the authority of the court relative to the decree of Almighty God that ‘a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’ (Genesis 2:24, ESV) and abrogates the clear meaning and understanding of marriage in all societies throughout prior history.”
The bill, introduced by Rep. Larry Pittman (R-Concord), Rep. Michael Speciale (R-New Bern), and Carl Ford (R-China Grove) is not getting a hearing in the House since it did not draw support from the Republican leadership. Several media outlets have already said it’s dead.
Critics of the bill have ironically called it “unconstitutional.”
“It could pass, but it doesn’t matter because it is plainly unconstitutional,” said Michael J. Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to NBC News. “It is directly contrary to what the United States Supreme Court has said on this subject. It violates the rights that the United States Supreme Court has recognized, so as a result, I think it would be struck down by any court in this country.”
NC House Speaker Tim Moore expressed similar sentiments.
“There are strong constitutional concerns with this legislation given that the U.S. Supreme Court has firmly ruled on the issue,” said Moore in a statement to ABC11.
Democrats are obviously outraged by the bill. “This bill is wrong. We need more LGBT protections, not fewer,” tweeted Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s Governor.
The lawmakers who introduced the bill believe it’s needed to stop the federal government from overstepping its boundaries with the states.
“HB 780 is about the need for the States to reassert their rights. As the bill states, marriage is not a federal matter. For too long, the federal government and federal courts have been allowed to overstep their bounds because the States have not had the courage to say no. Upholding the US and NC Constitutions means demanding that laws and court rulings do not contradict the very Constitutions we are obligated to uphold. I appreciate Rep. Speciale and Rep. Ford for having the courage to stand with me and say so,” said Pittman in a statement to ABC11.
Author’s note: Although it looks like the bill is not going anywhere, these North Carolina lawmakers are willing to stand up for the conservative standpoint. The real problem is that once you legalize something like gay marriage, marijuana, or abortion, it’s almost impossible to reverse and outlaw it again. This isn’t only because passing legislation is a process, but there is also a psychological issue. The term is “commitment and consistency,” it’s when people come to believe something is okay then there is resistance to convincing them it actually isn’t.