Update, 6/11/15: The North Carolina General Assembly voted Wednesday to overturn Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto on Wednesday to allow deed registrars and magistrates abstain from performing marriage duties based on religious obligation. The veto was overturned in a 69-41 vote.
Read the previous story below.
The North Carolina general assembly is resurrecting a religious freedom bill that would allow magistrates and deed registrars to recuse themselves from performing a marriage based on religious objection.
Gov. Pat McCrory vetoed the bill May 29. It’s known as Senate Bill 2 and is scheduled to be discussed in the North Carolina House of Representatives this week.
A magistrate’s recusal would be in effect for a period of six months until informed by written release that the individual may return to work.
The delay could substantially delay couples hoping to marry in areas where most citizens have traditional religious beliefs.
Mike Meno, communications director at the ACLU of North Carolina, told MSNBC the delay would effect all marriages, not just effect same-sex.
“There are only so many people who work in these offices. If even one or two of them opts out of performing a marriage, that would create very real, practical burdens for local offices. We’ll potentially see scenarios in smaller counties where it is all of a sudden much more difficult for all couples to get married,” Meno said.
The bill is sponsored by Republican state Sen. Philip E. Berger, and in an interview conducted by the Fayetteville Observer, Berger discusses the power of having a like-minded legislative body.
“Our members have worked together very well. They have been able to kind of work out whatever differences there are, and present a uniform front. I think when you have an organization and a legislative body that functions that way, it has an ability to be very effective,” Berger said.
Gov. McCrory said in a statement that while he opposes same-sex marriage, he believes public officials should be obligated to uphold laws.
“I recognize that for many North Carolinians, including myself, opinions on same-sex marriage come from sincerely held beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. However, we are a nation and a state of laws,” he said.
Despite McCrory’s veto, Berger and the General Assembly have voted to send the bill back to the state House, where legislators are expected to decide whether the override will be successful late Monday evening. With the House in session until early fall, the decision could take weeks to come to fruition.
