SACRAMENTO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Churches and clergy members across California would avoid legal consequences for refusing to conduct same-sex marriages under a new bill, an official says.
California State Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat, said his proposed legislation addresses freedom of religion concerns voiced by clergy members in the state regarding their right to not perform marriage ceremonies for gays and lesbians, the San Francisco Chronicle said Monday.
"We heard through the Prop. 8 debate great concern from certain clergy that their freedom of religion could be infringed upon and their tax-exempt status revoked," said Leno, referring to the 2008 proposition regarding the legality of same-sex unions in California.
"We want to clarify that by putting the constitutional guarantee of the First Amendment, freedom of religion, into statute," he said.
Same-sex marriages are currently illegal in California, but the bill would offer protection to clergy members should the ban be overturned in the future.
The Chronicle said the bill would also offer protection to churches and clergy members in regards to opposition to the performance of any marriages, not just those involving same-sex couples.
