House Bill 1598,1599

[Townsend]

Oklahoma House OKs Bill for Ministers to Refuse Gay Marriage

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/oklahoma-house-oks-bill-ministers-refuse-gay-marriage

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House has approved legislation that grants immunity from civil liability to ministers who refuse to officiate a same-sex marriage.

House members voted 88-7 Thursday for the bill by Republican Rep. David Brumbaugh. The measure now goes to the state Senate.

The bill grants licensed ministers in the state immunity from any civil claim based on their refusal to recognize a marriage that violates the minister's "conscience or religious beliefs."

The measure is one of several that have been targeted by gay rights groups as discriminatory against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Brumbaugh says pastors in his district requested the bill after a federal court last year struck down Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage in the state.

[DolfanBob]

So now after they get the marriage license out of the Court Clerks hands. All will be well in SallyWorld.

[Conan71]

I wasn't aware that the clergy could not presently decline to perform gay marriages.  State-sanctioned gay marriage does not force any faith to perform the ceremonies nor to recognize it within their fold, FAIK.

Aside from that doesn't passing laws absolving clergy from liability claims violate separation of church and state?

[Hoss]

Kern just can't let it go, can she?

http://www.news9.com/story/28132173/anti-gay-marriage-bill-targets-court-clerks-with-job-loss

Fire the clerk for doing what the Supreme Court has upheld to be lawful?  This lady...

[swake]

Kern just can't let it go, can she?

http://www.news9.com/story/28132173/anti-gay-marriage-bill-targets-court-clerks-with-job-loss

Fire the clerk for doing what the Supreme Court has upheld to be lawful?  This lady...

The state government has lost it's collective mind.

It's not just that Kern proposed the bill. IT PASSED.

[guido911]

I wonder if this committee has a legal opinion on this yet. Has me thinking since I am sure this sort of thing has been attempted before. Wish I had the time to research it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Yeah...well, it's the idiots who keep electing these clowns....