RALEIGH, N.C. — Four Republican lawmakers in North Carolina recently presented a bill that would declare the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling on “gay marriage” to be “null and void,” but the House speaker has considered it dead and won’t bring it up for a hearing.
Reps. Larry Pittman of Concord, Michael Speciale of New Bern, Carl Ford of Rowan County and Mike Clampitt of Bryson City filed House Bill 780, also known as the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act,” on April 11th.
It notes that the U.S. Constitution does not give power to the federal government to create laws surrounding the institution of marriage, and that the issue is rather reserved to the states. The bill also outlines that the courts have no right to overrule the laws of God.
“[T]he ruling of the United States Supreme Court … also exceeds the authority of the court relative to the decree of Almighty God that ‘a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’ (Genesis 2:24, ESV) and abrogates the clear meaning and understanding of marriage in all societies throughout prior history,” it reads in part.
The proposal instructs the state to therefore uphold North Carolina’s constitutional marriage amendment, which passed in 2012 with 61 percent of the vote.
“The General Assembly of the state of North Carolina declares that the Obergefell v. Hodges decision of the United States Supreme Court of 2015 is null and void in the state of North Carolina, and that the state of North Carolina shall henceforth uphold and enforce Section 6 of Article XIV of the North Carolina Constitution, the opinion and objection of the United States Supreme Court notwithstanding,” it proclaims.
However, House Speaker Tim Moore, also a Republican, says that he will not give the bill a hearing.
“There are strong constitutional concerns with this legislation given that the U.S. Supreme Court has firmly ruled on the issue, therefore House Bill 780 will be referred to the House Rules Committee and will not be heard,” he remarked in a statement.
Gov. Roy Cooper also criticized the proposal, opining, “We need more LGBT protections, not fewer.”
However, Pittman said in a statement that the Constitution never gave the federal government the right to get involved in the marriage business, but rather delegated most issues to the states.
“HB 780 is about the need for the states to reassert their rights. As the bill states, marriage is not a federal matter,” he outlined. “For too long, the federal government and federal courts have been allowed to overstep their bounds because the states have not had the courage to say no.”
“Upholding the U.S. and N.C. Constitutions means demanding that laws and court rulings do not contradict the very Constitutions we are obligated to uphold. I appreciate Rep. Speciale and Rep. Ford for having the courage to stand with me and say so,” he said.
Psalm 119: 126-128 reads, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void Thy law. Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore, I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way.”
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