Texas Bill Would Strip State Workers Of Salaries If They License Gay Marriages

[brooklynite]

Source: Talking Points Memo

State workers who issue same-sex marriage licenses would lose their salaries and benefits under a new bill proposed in the Texas legislature.

The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Cecil Bell (R), provides that state or local government employees "may not recognize, grant, or enforce a same-sex marriage license."

If a government employee did issue such a license, they "may not continue to receive a salary, pension, or other employee benefit at the expense of the taxpayers of this State," according to the bill.

Bell introduced the legislation with gay marriage possibly coming to Texas very soon. As the Washington Post noted, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently hearing a challenge to same-sex marriage bans in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana and is expected to rule soon. Bell signed an amicus brief in the case supporting his state's ban.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/texas-bill-state-worker-salary-gay-marriage

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

1. I see many lawsuits in TX's future.

[cstanleytech]

13. And I see many lawyers wanting to dance in the streets because of the money

they could win for potential clients.

[roguevalley]

17. God, Texas. Just god.

Last edited Mon Jan 12, 2015, 11:15 PM - Edit history (1)

[Iliyah]

2. Isn't it the law?

So much for democracy.

[Daemonaquila]

3. Yeah, that'll work out well.

Injunction in 3... 2... 1...

[belzabubba333]

4. turning whims into laws as a hammers for bigotry

[SoapBox]

5. Uhhhhhh.....no!

Pukes and Baggers are so pathetically desperate...and remember, keep big Gov'ment out of people's lives!

Pathetic.

[herding cats]

6. Meaningless posturing.

That's going to cost their taxpayers senseless money.

Maybe Texas has lost its faith in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals? I know I don't expect anything good from them, but I have a different definition of good in this case than the government in Texas.

I expect to see this one taken all the way to SCOTUS.

[arcane1]

7. Their desperation is getting hilarious. They will do anything to hide their wrongness!

And when equality comes to Texas, and the sky doesn't fall, their house of cards collapses

[Cryptoad]

8. TExass Rethugs more tricks than ,,,,

a monkey on a 100yard grape vine! They make me laugh!

[olddad56]

9. I would think that county employees would issue marriage licenses, but in homophoblandia, who knows.

[Omaha Steve]

10. So LGBT better help UNIONIZE these workers!

A contract with your emplyer is a wonderful thing.

[lsewpershad]

11. Texans deserve what they get

for voting for these clowns.

[Fred Sanders]

12. Pointless grandstanding. The fundie idiots are like "monkey see, monkey do".

[James48]

14. Imagine for a moment

if, instead of the bill referring to "same-sex" in 2015, what if the bill said "black", or "interracial", like they did in Texas in 1963:

Like this:

State workers who issue (interracial) marriage licenses would lose their salaries and benefits under a new bill proposed in the Texas legislature.

The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Cecil Bell (R), provides that state or local government employees "may not recognize, grant, or enforce a (interracial) marriage license."

If a government employee did issue such a license, they "may not continue to receive a salary, pension, or other employee benefit at the expense of the taxpayers of this State," according to the bill.

Bell introduced the legislation with (inter-racial) marriage possibly coming to Texas very soon. As the Washington Post noted, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently hearing a challenge to (inter-racial) marriage bans in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana and is expected to rule soon. Bell signed an amicus brief in the case supporting his state's ban.

That's exactly what Mr. Bell's bill is- and what republicans are.

[Bartlet]

15. Nice try

But that would just open the state up to more law suits since it would be an unenforceable law.

Get over it cons, you lost. Grow up and start acting like adults and stop acting like whiny little children.

[0rganism]

16. mmm, time for another juicy court case

watch out RW nutjobs, the legal precedents are starting to stack up