Victory in North Carolina as Lawmakers Overturn Governor's Veto of Religious Freedom Bill

Fr. Mark Hodges : Jun 15, 2015
LifeSiteNews

"Today is a win for anyone who supports religious freedom." –Sen. Ronald Rabin

(Raleigh, NC)—Last week, North Carolina overturned the Republican governor's veto to respect the religious freedom of magistrates who have religious objections to officiating at same-sex "weddings."

The North Carolina House of Representatives voted to override the governor's veto of a bill ensuring the religious freedom and conscience rights of North Carolina Christian magistrates and registrars.

The new law, Senate Bill 2, makes explicit that the Constitutional right to free exercise of religion applies to all citizens, specifically the right of magistrates and employees of county register of deeds.

Specifically, the new North Carolina legislation allows magistrates and officials who issue marriage certificates to "opt out" of involvement with same-sex "marriages" by citing a "sincerely held religious objection."

Once a magistrate "opts out," he or she would then not perform any marriage, homosexual or heterosexual, for six months. In other words, recusals can occur at any time but must be in effect for a period of at least six months.

The House voted to override Gov. Pat McCrory's veto with a 69-41 bipartisan vote. It was an unquestionable victory, since with 110 members present and voting, the override required 66 votes.

Gov. McCrory, a Republican, sided with Democrats who expressed disgust that Republicans used their majority-control to prevent any debate. House Speaker Tim Moore countered that the bill had been debated thoroughly in committees and previously on the floor when it passed in May.

But McCrory said in a statement, "It's a disappointing day for the rule of law and the process of passing legislation in North Carolina."

The Republican-controlled House passed the legislation in February by a veto-proof majority, but because 10 House members were absent last week when the chamber gave the bill final legislative approval, the override vote was delayed a few days. (Photo: Gov. McCrory/via LifeSiteNews)

Once the absent House members were back in session, the override took only a few minutes. "The speaker said the he would call the question when he thought the votes were there, and that is what happened," Rep. Jon Hardister, a Republican from Greensboro, said in an e-mail.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said in a statement that without the bill the government would have "forced some magistrates to make an impossible choice between their core religious beliefs and their jobs."

Rep. Paul Stam made the motion to override McCrory's veto, arguing that magistrates are U.S. citizens and the First Amendment applies to them, and that federal employment laws require accommodations be made for workers' religious beliefs.

Rep. Dean Arp explained, "The question is, can you be fired from a job because you choose to live your life by your religious beliefs."