Thursday, January 29, 2015

Quick Note: Not a Person of Faith? Todd Ross (R) Wants to Deny You the Right to Marry

On Tuesday, I wrote about Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern (R) and how she is attempting to circumvent the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal in her state by introducing three bills that would make complying with that law illegal.  You can read my post here.

Oklahoma State Representative Todd Ross

On the same day I was writing about Ms. Kern, another Oklahoma legislator, Representative Todd Ross (R) was filing H.B. 1125.  Under Mr. Ross' bill, the only people who could obtain a marriage license and legally marry in the state of Oklahoma would be people of faith.  All marriage licenses would have to be approved by a member of the clergy.  And not just any clergy will do, only a Christian priest, minister, preacher or Jewish rabbi would be granted
power by the state to sign marriage licenses. This would seem to say that, if you are not a Christian or a Jew, you would not be permitted to marry in Oklahoma.

As for the rest of Oklahoma couples, Mr. Ross told KSWO-TV that if "they don't have a spiritual basis for a marriage and don't want to have a clergy member or a priest or someone involved in the spiritual aspect, then they can file an affidavit of common-law marriage."  

Mr. Ross is either unaware or doesn't really care, (I can easily believe either one), that Oklahoma is one of the majority of U.S. states that do not recognize common-law marriage.
 Republican legislators in Oklahoma seem to be overdosing on whatever additive the GOP prescribes for its members' drinking water.

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