AUSTIN – Today, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made the following statement regarding the Texas Attorney General’s opinion clarifying the First Amendment religious liberty rights of governmental officials involved in issuing same-sex marriage licenses and conducting same-sex wedding ceremonies:

“On Thursday I made a request to Attorney General Ken Paxton for a legal opinion on how local elected officials would be impacted if the Supreme Court ruled gay marriage the law of the land. Today, I commend Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for his quick and comprehensive opinion on the very important issue regarding protecting public employees’ rights. As I had hoped when I requested this opinion, General Paxton has affirmed that county clerks, judges and Justices of the Peace do in fact retain religious freedom to object.

“No public employee, judge or Justice of the Peace should be forced to participate in activity contrary to the covenants of their sincerely held religious beliefs.”