ACLU Applauds Gov. McCrory’s Decision to Veto SB2

RALEIGH – Today North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory announced plans to veto Senate Bill 2, a discriminatory measure that would allow sworn government officials to deny marriage services to legally eligible couples if the officials cite a deeply held religious objection.

“We applaud Governor McCrory for pledging to veto this discriminatory measure, and we urge the General Assembly to keep government services open for all North Carolinians by sustaining the governor’s veto,” said Sarah Preston, acting Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina. “Senate Bill 2 is a transparent attempt to deny gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry, but it is so broadly written that it would also allow court officers to deny services to interracial couples, interfaith couples, and others. No couple should have to spend their wedding day rushing from one courthouse to another trying to prove they meet the religious criteria of a magistrate just to get a marriage license. This happy day should be spent with friends, family and loved ones – not in a maze of government offices.”

McCrory announced his decision in a news release today after voicing concerns about the measure in March.

“I recognize that for many North Carolinians, including myself, opinions on same-sex marriage come from sincerely held religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman,” McCrory said in today’s news release. “However, we are a nation and a state of laws. Whether it is the president, governor, mayor, a law enforcement officer, or magistrate, no public official who voluntarily swears to support and defend the Constitution and to discharge all duties of their office should be exempt from upholding that oath; therefore, I will veto Senate Bill 2.”

The ACLU of North Carolina is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving and expanding the guarantees of individual liberty found in the United States and North Carolina Constitutions and related federal and state civil rights laws. With more than 12,000 members and supporters throughout the state and an office located in Raleigh, the organization achieves its mission through advocacy, public education, community outreach, and when necessary, litigation. Visit acluofnc.org for more information.