Tennessee Lawmaker Calls on County Clerks to Ignore Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling

A state representative for Tennessee has recently written a letter to county clerks in the state imploring them to ignore the recent Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage a constitutional right.

Tennessee State Representative Rick Womick recently distributed the letter to county clerks, encouraging them to ignore the "intimidation" by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery and Governor Bill Haslam's administration to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

"It has come to my attention that most, if not all of you, have been contacted by AG Herbert Slatery and the Haslam Administration, and have been told to uphold the SCOTUS opinion or face a discrimination lawsuit," wrote Womick.

"Such intimidation from this administration is unconstitutional and should not be tolerated. Each of you are publicly elected servants of your county, held accountable only to the people that elect you."

"I am asking that each of you ignore the recent SCOTUS opinion redefining marriage, uphold our State Constitution, and issue marriage certificates to one man and one woman only," Womick added.

Womick added in the letter that he does not believe the Supreme Court's recent decision has authority over the already-existent state law that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.

"They don't have the power. Only Congress and state legislators have that power to create law," Womick said. "These clerks, by ignoring the opinion, will be in violation of no federal law. All they're in violation of is the opinion of individuals in black robes."

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, thus overturning state bans on the union.