Louisiana's top prosecutor says he will not be enforcing the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage right away.
In a statement, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said his office "has found nothing in today's decision that makes the Court's order effective immediately," adding the decision "overturns the will of the people of Louisiana,"
the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
"I am extremely disappointed by this decision," he said. "It fails to respect traditional marriage as defined by Louisiana voters, and is yet another example of the federal government intrusion into what should be a state issue."
"Therefore, there is not yet a legal requirement for officials to issue marriage licenses or perform marriages for same-sex couples in Louisiana," he added. "The Attorney General's Office will be watching for the Court to issue a mandate or order making today's decision final and effective and will issue a statement when that occurs."
Caldwell noted voters "decided overwhelmingly" to ban gay marriage through a constitutional amendment that passed in 2004. "I was the first attorney general in the nation to be successful at the federal court level," he said, the newspaper reports.
There's push-back to the ruling in other states as well.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to defend the religious liberties of those who believe marriage is between one man and one woman, and said he would issue a directive to state agencies instructing them to prioritize such protections,
the Texas Tribune reports.
"No Texan is required by the Supreme Court's decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage," Abbott said.
The Texas Tribune reports Attorney General Ken Paxton also has asked county clerks to hold off on issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until further word from him.
In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said the new federal marriage standards are out of step with the wishes of many in the state, while the state's Attorney General Jim Hood said the high court decision is not yet effective because of a current Circuit Court order,
Mississippi News Now reports.
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