With the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality drawing close, homophobic Texas lawmakers are exploring some creative ways to force the state into a legal showdown with the highest court in the land.
If the justices hand down a pro-equality ruling, it could mean the end of marriage bans from coast to coast. In response, Texas is debating a bill that would require state officials to refuse to obey such a decision. Is that legal? No, of course not. But it's a stalling tactic that could buy a few more years of inequality -- especially in an election year when conservatives may be looking to draw in votes from those hostile to LGBTs.
Whenever there's a conflict between state and federal law, federal law almost always wins. There's virtually zero chance that the law in Texas would survive a legal challenge. But the litigation could draw out for years, potentially harming thousands upon thousands of couples.
A vote on the bill, HB4105, is scheduled for Tuesday of this week. It has strong support in both the House and Senate, and Governor Greg Abbott is likely to sign it into law, ensuring that the bill will be harming families and wasting everyone's time for years to come.
Get up to speed on Texas's tomfoolery below:
