House Republican: Judges ‘trumped the will’ of public in Idaho gay marriage ruling

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) argued that a circuit court ruling striking down the same-sex marriage ban in his state amounted to judicial overreach.

Labrador, who has introduced legislation to prohibit federal agencies from discriminating against individuals through the tax code who believe marriage should only be between men and women, said that the issue shouldn’t be left to the courts.

{mosads}”Marriage should not be redefined by unelected judges who continue to trump the will of the people of the various states,” Labrador said. 

The Idaho Republican noted that the state voted to maintain a same-sex marriage ban in 2006.

“Now, a single judge in Idaho and a panel of judges in San Francisco have trumped the will of the vast majority of the people of this state,” Labrador said.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court declined to weigh in on seven cases before the court regarding same-sex marriage. And on Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy issued an order preventing Idaho from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples under a federal court ruling that overturned the state’s ban.

Labrador urged the Supreme Court to rule definitively on same-sex marriage.

“I believe the U.S. Supreme Court should review these federal court decisions and reaffirm that the people of the 50 states have the right to define marriage,” Labrador said.

Labrador is one of only a handful of Republicans who have weighed in on same-sex marriage this week. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) are among the only other Republicans who have criticized the Supreme Court’s move this week.