RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Republican lawmaker in Virginia is pushing legislation that would allow clerks to refuse to issue licenses for marriages they object to on moral or religious grounds.
Republican Sen. Charles Carrico of Galax said many of his constituents were concerned about what happened to Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who spent five days in jail last year for denying licenses to same-sex couples.
Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has already vowed to veto Carrico's bill if it passes the GOP-controlled General Assembly. Republicans would need significant Democratic support to override a veto, which is unlikely.
James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, said the Supreme Court's June ruling that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide has sparked a rush of Virginia legislation that he considers "harmful or discriminatory" to the LGBT community.
