Looking at options, GOP says of ruling

State legislators target gay marriage

Republicans in the Arkansas House of Representatives will work with other conservative leaders in the state and nationwide to "explore all available options" to challenge last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal, majority leader Ken Bragg, R-Sheridan, said Tuesday.

A written statement from the House's 63-member GOP caucus, written by Bragg, called the court's 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges "mistaken and dangerous."

The decision threatens the overall function of the U.S. Constitution and "denied the will of the majority of Arkansans and the Arkansas Constitution," Bragg wrote.

Amendment 83, approved by voters in 2004, "affirmed that the citizens of the State of Arkansas believe marriage is between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court has now intruded on States' powers," the majority leader added.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Bragg said that although the ruling is "the law of the land," he and other Republicans are interested in looking at potential laws or initiatives to strengthen protections of religious freedom and rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"I think the governor made the statement that we'll follow the law, and that it's the law for now," Bragg said. "I would suppose until we have a change in the Supreme Court and it was challenged again, we'll have to deal with it."

Metro on 07/01/2015

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