Lawmaker: State could stop marriage licenses altogether
State House Judiciary Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, said he’s still studying the ruling, but that one option might be for Mississippi to get out of the marriage business altogether.
“One of the options that other states have looked at is removing the state marriage license requirement,” Gipson said. “We will be researching what options there are. I personally can see pros and cons to that. I don’t know if it would be better to have no marriage certificate sponsored by the state or not. But it’s an option out there to be considered.”
Oklahoma lawmakers this year considered a bill that would have had clergy and notaries sign off on marriage paperwork, taking state judges and county clerks out of the process. In Alabama, at least one county stopped issuing any marriage licenses months ago.
Gipson, an attorney and Baptist minister who opposes gay marriage, caused a stir last year when he said: “I believe the time has come for people of faith in Mississippi to prepare for the overturning of our constitutional ban on it,” noting then that Friday’s high court ruling was inevitable.
ClarionLedger
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/politicalledger/2015/06/26/bryant-gay-marriage/29327433/
6/26/15
Magnolia Tribune
