“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 a statement according to The Charlotte Observer. “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 legislation, which passed the North Carolina Senate in February in a vote of 32 to 16, passed the North Carolina House on Thursday in a vote of 67-43.
Each chamber would need a three-fifths majority for an override of McCrory’s veto. Republicans who support the legislation could override McCrory’s veto but the total vote in the House makes it seem less likely than in the Senate, the Observer noted.
Posted by Libergirl
