Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is
speaking out on a recent ruling striking down Mississippi's ban on
gay marriage.
Late last month, U.S. District Judge
Carlton Reeves struck down the ban, saying that the 2004 amendment to
the Mississippi Constitution violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution.
Reeve's temporary stay is set to expire
on December 9, but the state has asked the Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals in New Orleans to block Reeve's ruling from taking effect as
an appeal is pursued.
“We think it's a state's right to
make those decisions, and we think this is one of them,” said
Bryant, a Republican.
“What would be next? What if a
federal judge decided that marijuana ought to be legal? Should we
say, 'Well, it's a federal judge.' We're going to appeal that.”
He continued: “I think it's a
constitutional question. Can the people of the state of Mississippi
vote for a particular law in favor of it in overwhelming numbers, and
can one federal judge make a decision to change that?”
Eddie Outlaw, a marriage equality
supporter, told WAPT that the governor's comments show that he's out
of touch with “Mississippians in general.”
“It doesn't jive for me. He's not
paying attention to the will of the people in one hand, and he's also
accusing federal judges of being activist judges,” Outlaw
said.
(Related: Mississippi
pastor opposes gay marriage ruling because currency says “In God we
Trust.”)