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Brief
Senate Bill 2 – Magistrates Recusal for Civil Ceremonies – will be before the House Judiciary Committee later this afternoon. The legislation would allow North Carolina magistrates to opt out of gay marriages, if they hold a ‘sincere religious’ objection.
Editorial writers have called the legislation “a silly maneuver” that allows sworn public officials to sidestep their duty.
Rep. Susan Fisher, who appeared on News & Views with Chris Fitzsimon last weekend, said lawmakers should legitimately be concerned about how this bill could be expanded:
“If you look at this in terms of discriminatory behavior, it opens the door wide for any kind of discrimination you’d want to throw in there,” explained the Buncombe County representative. “It’s wrong on many, many levels, but it does seem to be just another attempt at an end run around a Supreme Court decision that is so important to the lives of so many people in our state.”
Click below to hear Rep. Fisher in her own words. Senate Bill 2 will be considered by the House Judiciary I committee at 12:30pm in Room 415 of the Legislative Office Building.
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