ATLANTA — Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation restricting gay rights even as the U.S. Supreme Court gets ready to decide whether same-sex couples can marry.
The roughly half-dozen bills are viewed as political longshots unlikely to become law. Still, they create a political problem for Republicans nationally.
It's possible the U.S. Supreme Court could strike down prohibitions against gay marriage as Republican state lawmakers are seeking laws restricting gay rights. Those stances may appeal to religious and social conservatives in the GOP, but polls shows it's increasingly out of step with the desire of voters nationally.
Some Republican leaders are subtly pushing back. House Speaker David Ralston in Georgia said he is unsure a new law on religious rights is constitutionally necessary.