Kentucky Senate Committee Passes Bill to Protect Religious Freedom of County Clerks

 

 

A Senate committee in Kentucky has passed a bill that would protect the religious freedom rights of county clerks such as Kim Davis.

 

USA Today reports that the Senate 5 Bill passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee without marked opposition, although some are still concerned about the different treatment the bill may allow county clerks to give those who identify as straight or gay.

 

If passed in the state Senate, the bill would provide for separate marriage forms without the name of the objecting county clerk to be issued to  gay couples.

 

The proposed bill would thus create two forms, one for straight couples and one for gay couples.

 

Republican Sen. Steve West, a sponsor of the bill, said that one form would include spaces for “bride” and “groom” while the other form would designate spaces for “first party” and “second party.”

 

Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, foresees issues with the bill.

 

“Separate has seldom been equal,” he said.

 

Hartman agrees with Democratic Sen. Morgan McGarvey’s amendment to the bill which would include a single form with space for couples to designate whether they wished to be identified as “bride,” “groom,” or simply as "spouse."

 

“You would just have one form ... it would probably be cheaper, it would be more efficient and wouldn’t treat people differently and I just don’t see the downside of that,” McGarvey said.