Judge: Houston Mayor, City Must Stop Recognizing Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ and Providing Benefits
November 5, 2014 – Today, a state district court judge in Houston granted a temporary injunction and ordered Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the City of Houston to immediately stop recognizing same-sex ‘marriages’ and stop providing benefits to same-sex couples ‘married’ in other states. The state judge noted that “This court does not legislative from the bench” and ordered the injunction to stay in place until a trial date of December 2015. The state court lawsuit was filed by a team of lawyers led by Jared Woodfill, former chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, along with Texas Values President Jonathan Saenz.
Texas Values President and Attorney, Jonathan Saenz, was at the court hearing and released the following statement:
“A Texas Judge has once again made it clear — Mayor Parker’s executive actions to force same-sex marriage on the people of Houston are illegal. Mayor Parker’s judgment and her reliance on the reckless advice of City Attorney David Feldman have once again put the city of Houston on the wrong side of the law. It is time for Mayor Parker to start following the law and stop wasting tax dollars on issues that have already been resolved by Texas voters and Texas state courts.”
“It is great to have a judge who will hold Mayor Parker accountable for trampling on the Texas Constitution and Texas Defense of Marriage Act. We will continue to oppose this Mayor every time she puts her agenda ahead of the law,” said Jared Woodfill.
Late last year, Mayor Parker, who is an open lesbian, directed city staff to violate the Texas Constitution by giving legal status and recognition to same-sex marriages in Texas and offering benefits to “spouses” of employees who “legally” obtained a same-sex marriage in another state. After an initial injunction against her unconstitutional actions, Mayor Parker attempted to move the case to federal court to avoid the state court decision. However, a federal judge ruled in late August that the federal court “does not have jurisdiction over this case” and ordered that the case be sent back to state court.
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