Tenn. Gov. Signs Bill Refusing Gay Weddings

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed a measure on Wednesday allowing public officials to decline conducting same-sex marriages, reported The Hill. The Tennessee Legislature last week passed Tennessee House Bill 878, which permits individuals to abstain from officiating a marriage if it conflicts with their "conscience or religious beliefs." The governor endorsed the bill, according to the Tennessee Legislature website. The bill does not empower officials to deny marriage licenses based on their convictions but exempts them from the obligation to solemnize a marriage. Initially approved by the State...