Texas lawmakers try to set up legal barriers to same-sex marriage

By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - With a possibility the U.S. Supreme Court next month will legalize same-sex marriage, the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is pushing measures to bolster the state's constitutional amendment that bans gay weddings. The campaign coming in the final weeks of the legislative session has been called by critics an attempt to enact mean-spirited laws, some of which probably could not survive a legal challenge. Texas is one of many socially conservative states looking to slow down the gathering momentum in favor of same-sex marriages in the country. One of the main pieces of legislation is called the "Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act," and it would block clerk's offices in the state's 254 counties from using tax money to issue licenses for same-sex weddings. Another measure, which passed the state Senate on Monday, would allow members of the clergy to opt out of performing same-sex marriages or from having their facilities used for same-sex weddings. Jonathan Saenz, president of the socially conservative Texas Values group, the proposals are necessary to protect Texans against the "increasingly activist gay rights lobby." "They are so interested in pushing their own agenda, they think that they can openly violate our marriage laws," Saenz said. The Supreme Court decision, due by the end of June, is expected to determine whether gay marriage will be legal nationwide. The arguments center on gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, four of the 13 states that currently prohibit it. Before gay marriage became legal in the liberal northeastern state of Massachusetts in 2004, it was not permitted in any state. Now it is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. The Republican Party of Texas calls marriage a "God-ordained" commitment that can only be between a man and a woman. The party that dominates state politics says in its platform that homosexuality must not be seen as an acceptable lifestyle. Chuck Smith of the group Equality Texas, which fights for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, said lawmakers are trying to skirt the courts. "Texas is pioneering a new strategy to prevent equality for its LGBT residents, to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court, and even to roll back and remove gains which have been made in this state," Smith said. (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Eric Walsh)