Cass County Republicans censure Senator Todd Young after vote on marriage bill

Dec. 10—The Cass County Republican Committee sent a letter of censure to denounce Senator Todd Young this week after Young voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, a federal bill that validates same-sex and interracial marriages in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Senate's website, a censure is meant to express disapproval of a senator's actions but does not involve any formal action or expulsion from office. However, censures can cause problems with a senator's relationship with constituents and within congress.

"Your decision elicited feelings of anger, disbelief and even a sense of betrayal," said the letter, which was posted on Twitter by CNN Reporter Melanie Zanona. "We are not just fiscal conservatives, but social conservatives as well."

The letter was sent to Young and other Indiana Republican county chairs by Cass County Republican Committee Chairman David Richey. Richey, who worked with other Cass County Republicans to draft the letter, stated in an email posted with the letter that Cass County Republicans encourage other committees to write their own letters to Young if they are upset about his vote.

"The Republican party of Indiana endorsed you running as a Republican senator from our great state with the belief that we could entrust you with representing out values," the letter from the Cass County Republicans said. "On this matter (regarding same-sex marriage), you had previously stated that you felt matters like this were best handled by the states, not in the federal venue. Now we find — right after we endorsed you and voted for you in November — that you've changed your mind."

The Respect for Marriage Act, which was passed in the U.S House of Representatives on Thursday, provides federal protections for two individuals who enter into marriage regardless of their race, sex, national origin, or ethnicity.

"Millions of people, including interracial and same-sex couples, have entered into marriages and have enjoyed the rights and privileges associated with marriage," the bill states. "Couples joining in marriage deserve to have the dignity, stability, and ongoing protection that marriage affords to families and children."

An amendment to the bill clarifies that the bill does not aim to diminish organizations' religious liberties guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. The bill states that nonprofit religious organizations are not "required to provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage" and that their tax-exempt status will not be jeopardized.

The bill further states that those organizations' refusal to provide the services and accommodations listed above should not result in a lawsuit.

In an opinion article published in the Indianapolis Star on Nov. 30, Todd Young discussed his decision to vote for the bill.

"Same-sex couples ― many of whom are also people of faith ― want to be treated with dignity and respect as well," he wrote. "In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges to legalize same-sex marriages, they want to enjoy the same legal protections of civil marriage as married men and women. They don't want to live in fear of their families being ripped apart by a future court decision."

Young said that, regardless of their individual beliefs, all Indiana residents want their views on marriage to be respected. He discussed his support for the religious freedom amendment included in the bill and expressed certainty that the protections put in place for religion will hold up under scrutiny.

"The explicit protections in this proposal offer far more in the way of religious liberty protections than currently under Obergefell, which leaves all such decisions up to the courts," he said. "... These religious liberty protections are born of the First Amendment, and legal experts from across the faith spectrum have stated that activist judges will not be able to undo them."

Regardless of the religious liberty protections included in the bill, Cass County Republicans who met at a recent precinct meeting were still concerned about the bill becoming federal law and the religious protections listed in the bill being stripped away in the future.

"You have joined the radical left in pushing this unnecessary bill, which will have a chilling effect on religious freedom and further undermine the traditional family," their letter stated. "In fact, the 'Respect for Marriage Act' will do nothing to change the status of same-sex 'marriage' or the benefits given to them by the 2015 Obergfell decision.

"This bill enshrines and codifies in federal law an incorrect understanding of marriage, further embedding it in the American legal fabric. It will enable and encourage litigation against those who disagree and hold a traditional understanding of the union. It opens the door to further degradation of marriage such as recognition of polyamorous relationships."

Richey said the people who worked on the letter did not expect it to receive so much attention and said he wants to clarify that he does not harbor hate toward LGBTQ people.

"We are not against LGBT people," he said. "Part of the thing we're concerned about, though, is a pastor, for example, who gets up and says, 'Our church's belief system says we're against same-sex marriage,' and their church gets shut down. We've come to this 'if I don't agree with you, I hate you.' We are about love, but that doesn't mean we can't disagree with someone. I can disagree with you and still be friends with you."

Richey said the Cass County Republicans thought it was important to send the letter now rather than later to make their frustration with Young clear since he was just re-elected for another six year term. He encouraged anyone from either side who is unhappy with the government or their representatives to get involved and urged people to have civil discussions about their differences.

"This is what we needed to do to let Senator Young know we are displeased with his voting record," Richey said. "If you say one thing, we want you to stand by it. If someone is in a position to represent their (constituents), we want you to represent us. We feel we are not being heard, and we feel left out. Our voices have been heard, and we want Senator Young to hear them."