State lawmakers approve a resolution requesting the U.S. Supreme Court revisit its 2015 decision requiring nationwide recognition of same-sex marriages.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Lawmakers in the Idaho House of Representatives have approved a resolution calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit and overturn its 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that required states to recognize same-sex marriages nationwide.
The measure, House Joint Memorial 17, urges the nation’s highest court to reconsider the constitutional interpretation that established nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage. The resolution states that the court should “restore the natural definition of marriage, a union of one man and one woman.”
A social media post discussing the development circulated online as the resolution moved forward in the Idaho legislature.
The resolution passed the Idaho House and now advances to the state Senate for consideration. If adopted by both chambers, the memorial would formally express the Idaho Legislature’s position and be transmitted to the U.S. Supreme Court as well as members of Congress.
Memorial resolutions such as House Joint Memorial 17 do not change existing law but serve as formal statements of legislative opinion. Supporters say the measure signals that lawmakers want the Supreme Court to revisit the legal framework established by the Obergefell ruling.
The 2015 decision held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license marriages between two people of the same sex and to recognize such marriages when performed legally in other jurisdictions.
The Idaho action follows legislative activity in another state addressing related issues. In Tennessee, the state House of Representatives recently approved legislation challenging recognition of same-sex marriage in certain circumstances.
The proposal, titled House Bill 1473, outlines provisions that would exempt financial institutions, medical organizations and other private entities from recognizing what the legislation describes as “a purported marriage between individuals of the same sex.”
Supporters of that Tennessee measure argue it is intended to protect institutions that hold differing views on marriage recognition. The bill remains part of ongoing legislative consideration in that state.
The Idaho resolution’s advancement reflects continuing debate in state legislatures regarding the scope of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision and the role of states in defining marriage policy.
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