North Carolina GOP wants to make current same-sex marriages ‘null and void’

Ignoring the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to make marriage equality the law of the land, North Carolina Republicans on Tuesday introduced HB780, which would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

According to HB780, same-sex 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 “Uphold Historical Marriage Act” asserts that the Supreme Court’s ruling is invalid because it has no jurisdiction over the Christian Bible, which, according to N.C. Republican logic, has supreme authority in the United States when it comes to lawmaking.

The bill literally states that “the ruling of the United States Supreme Court not only exceeds the authority of the Court relative to the State of North Carolina and a vote of the People of the State on an issue pertaining solely to the State of North Carolina and the People of North Carolina but also exceeds the authority of the Court relative to the decree of Almighty God.”

Additionally, the bill cites specific Bible verses as a justification for its bigoted violation of the Constitution.

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HB780 has the potential to cost taxpayers $1 million in fees to defend the bill in court.

It’s worth noting that just last year, North Carolina passed a bill prohibiting transgender people from using the restroom corresponding with their gender identity. This cost them billions of dollars in business deals and patronage. According to the New Civil Rights Movement, “were the bill [HB780] ever to become law, it would be declared unconstitutional, and the taxpayers in the State of North Carolina would have to pay court and attorneys fees, which easily could reach more than a million dollars.”

Update: The Washington Post is reporting that the bill was slapped down by the GOP House Speaker before it got a chance to be heard.

From WaPo:

A day after North Carolina lawmakers introduced legislation that would outlaw same-sex marriage and defy a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a top Republican there said Wednesday that the bill is dead on arrival.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore released a curt statement Wednesday shooting down the bill known as the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act.” Moore said lawmakers would not hear the bill, which prompted a new round of criticism this week for a state already drawing negative attention for its transgender bathroom law.

Featured image from left to right: HB780 sponsors, Michael Speciale, Carl Ford, and Larry G. Pittman