The bill was intended to protect the rights of those who face losing their job if they decline.

According to a report in Reuters, supporters of the bill claimed it would add needed protection for magistrates who have said they would not perform gay marriages since it became legal in North Carolina last year.

State Representative Dean Arp put it this way: "Really, the question is, should you be fired from a job or subject to disciplinary action because you choose to live your life by sincerely held religious beliefs?"

The victory for religious rights advocates, however, will be for naught if Governor Pat McCrory vetoes the bill, which he has just announced he will.

Yesterday, per his official website, he announced, "I recognize that for many North Carolinians, including myself, opinions on same-sex marriage come from sincerely held religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. However, we are a nation and a state of laws. Whether it is the president, governor, mayor, a law enforcement officer, or magistrate, no public official who voluntarily swears to support and defend the Constitution and to discharge all duties of their office should be exempt from upholding that oath; therefore, I will veto Senate Bill 2."

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