The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM
Tennessee Court Of Appeals Dismiss Lawsuit Seeking To Invalidate State's Marriage Laws
Media outlets report the lawsuit was filed by a group of conservative Williamson County residents. They argued the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision that effectively legalized same-sex marriage invalidated all of Tennessee's marriage laws.
They asked the court to rule it was unconstitutional for Williamsburg County Clerk Elaine Anderson to keep issuing marriage licenses.
The court ruled the residents did not have standing to sue, saying they did not show how federal laws that allow same-sex marriage would harm them.
The lawsuit was filed in 2016 by former state lawmaker and Family Action Council of Tennessee President David Fowler. The suit named five plaintiffs, including three ministers.
