Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country Friday, politicians from both sides of the aisle began weighing in on the decision.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement Sunday saying state workers can refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses if doing so is contrary to his or her religious beliefs.
"(Judges and other state workers) may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections," Paxton said in the statement.
Workers who choose to deny licenses to same-sex couples may face litigation and fines, but there are lawyers willing to defend them, according to Paxton.
"Numerous lawyers stand ready to assist clerks defending their religious beliefs, in many cases on a pro-bono basis, and I will do everything I can from this office to be a public voice for those standing in defense of their rights," Paxton said.
Paxton's opinion came two days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a similar statement expressing disapproval of the Supreme Court's decision. "No Texan is required by the Supreme Court's decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage," Abbott wrote Friday.
State Sen. Jose Rodriguez expressed his disagreement with the attorney general's statement shortly after its release.
"The Attorney General has crossed the line in advising local public officials, who are not his clients, that they are not bound by the U.S. Constitution," Rodriguez said.
"He has erred grievously in giving them unsolicited advice that may subject them to liability in both their individual and official capacity, and could result in their removal from office for failure to uphold the law," he said.
The ACLU also issued a statement in response to Abbott and Paxton.
"Religious liberty is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment, but that doesn't mean that government officials can use their personal religious beliefs to avoid following the law regarding marriage," Rebecca Robertson of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said in a statement.
"Government officials who take an oath to uphold the law are required to treat all Texans equally, regardless of who they are or whom they love," she said.
Roadblocks to marriage weren't isolated to Texas. Attorney generals in Louisiana and Mississippi also attempted to delay issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sent a message to county clerks Friday saying the Supreme Court's decision was not "immediately effective" in the state. It was short-lived. Hood retracted the message Monday saying it had been misinterpreted.
"Obergefell is the law of the land. If a clerk has issued or decides to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple, there will be no adverse action taken by the Attorney General against that circuit clerk on behalf of the State … On the other hand, a clerk who refuses to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple could be sued by the denied couple and may face liability," he said.
In Louisiana, Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell said in a statement that the Supreme Court's decision had nothing requiring it to be effective immediately.
"There is a delay. It's usually around 20 to 25 days," said Louise Bond, Ouachita Parish clerk of court. "We've been told not to issue anything until we hear back from our counsel on that."
The foot-dragging meant that Louisiana was the only state Friday not to have issued a marriage-license to a same-sex couple.
