To keep same-sex marriage illegal, Oklahoma lawmaker proposes ban on all marriages

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma state lawmaker is so dedicated to keeping same-sex marriage illegal in his state that he has introduced a bill banning all marriages.

According to Rep. Mike Turner, his bill would keep same-sex marriage illegal in Oklahoma while still satisfying the U.S. Constitution.

"[My constituents are] willing to have that discussion about whether marriage needs to be regulated by the state at all," Turner told KWTV. Turner claims that other conservative lawmakers feel the same way he does.

"I think that, especially with issues like this, [these lawmakers are] out of touch with most Oklahomans," said ACLU Oklahoma executive detector Ryan Kiesel. "Moving forward I think we'll see less efforts like this.”

“I will stand for the traditional values that have made this country great,” Turner said, according to the Friends of Mike Turner website. “Some believe values like faith and family are outdated. I believe they are timeless. I’ll support the right to life, Second Amendment freedoms, the rights of students to pray in school and our right to publicly express our faith.”

The dispute over Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage remains headed to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Would it be realistic for the State of Oklahoma to say, ‘We're not going to do marriage period?'" Turner was asked. He replied, "That would definitely be a realistic opportunity, and it's something that would be part of the discussion."

[News 9] [Friends of Mike Turner]