Florida’s leaders weighed in on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down same-sex marriage bans at the state level in a 5-4 decision. Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the liberal block in the majority.
“The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity,” Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion.
With the ruling, same-sex marriage is recognized across the United States.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the issue should have been left to the states. Rubio is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination.
“I believe that marriage, as the key to strong family life, is the most important institution in our society and should be between one man and one woman,” Rubio said. “People who disagree with the traditional definition of marriage have the right to change their state laws. That is the right of our people, not the right of the unelected judges or justices of the Supreme Court. This decision short-circuits the political process that has been under way on the state level for years.
“While I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law,” Rubio added. “As we look ahead, it must be a priority of the next president to nominate judges and justices committed to applying the Constitution as written and originally understood.
“The next president and all in public office must strive to protect the First Amendment rights of religious institutions and millions of Americans whose faiths hold a traditional view of marriage,” Rubio continued. “This is a constitutional duty, not a political opinion. Our nation was founded on the human right of religious freedom, and our elected leaders have a duty to protect that right by ensuring that no one is compelled by law to violate their conscience.
“I firmly believe the question of same-sex marriage is a question of the definition of an institution, not the dignity of a human being,” Rubio concluded. “Every American has the right to pursue happiness as they see fit. Not every American has to agree on every issue, but all of us do have to share our country. A large number of Americans will continue to believe in traditional marriage, and a large number of Americans will be pleased with the court’s decision today. In the years ahead, it is my hope that each side will respect the dignity of the other.”
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., called for greater protection of religious freedom after the decision. Like Rubio, Bush is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
“Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage,” Bush said after the decision. “I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments. In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side. It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate.”
Another presidential candidate with ties to the Sunshine State called for resistance to the decision. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., who moved to Florida after his 2008 presidential bid, called on Americans to “resist and reject judicial tyranny." Huckabee is currently making a second bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
"The Supreme Court has spoken with a very divided voice on something only the Supreme Being can do -- redefine marriage. I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat,” Huckabee said on Friday.
"This ruling is not about marriage equality, it's about marriage redefinition,” Huckabee added. “This irrational, unconstitutional rejection of the expressed will of the people in over 30 states will prove to be one of the court's most disastrous decisions, and they have had many. The only outcome worse than this flawed, failed decision would be for the president and Congress, two co-equal branches of government, to surrender in the face of this out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny.
"The Supreme Court can no more repeal the laws of nature and nature's God on marriage than it can the laws of gravity,” Huckabee said in closing. “Under our Constitution, the court cannot write a law, even though some cowardly politicians will wave the white flag and accept it without realizing that they are failing their sworn duty to reject abuses from the court. If accepted by Congress and this president, this decision will be a serious blow to religious liberty, which is the heart of the First Amendment."
But not every Florida Republican disagreed with the decision. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., expressed her strong support for same-sex marriage.
"Our nation was founded on the basis of equal rights and today, the Supreme Court’s decision reflected our values,” Ros-Lehtinen said on Friday. “The ability to marry is now a right all Americans have and we no longer must wonder why one class of people has been singled out under the law. Simply put, and the majority of Americans would agree, the union of two people in marriage should not be based on gender, but on love."
Florida Democrats cheered the decision with U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., comparing it the civil rights battle.
“With today’s decision, gay marriage will now be legal across the United States,” Brown said. “This decision reminds us of the civil rights battle to permit intermarriage between blacks and whites, which culminated in the 1967 Supreme Court decision legalizing marriage between interracial couples. It was only a few years ago when the first same-sex couples were able to marry legally in our country. Discrimination in any form should not be sanctioned by U.S. law, and today’s decision affirms that equal justice under the law includes marriage equality for everyone.”
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., also backed the decision. Murphy is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016 as Rubio is not seeking a second term.
"This is a historic day in our nation’s history,” Murphy said on Friday. “ For too long, same-sex couples have been discriminated against because of who they are and who they love. Today, that ends. We are a nation that prides itself on the diversity of our citizens, and I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to give same-sex couples equal marriage rights under the law once and for all."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
