Republican Attorney General candidate Mike Hurst issued the following press release:
Hurst: Hood Bungled
Marriage Issues
Hood’s lack of
leadership in defending Mississippi’s Constitution to responding to SCOTUS
ruling is astounding
Today,
Republican nominee for Attorney General Mike Hurst criticized Jim Hood’s
bungling of the marriage issue from defending Mississippi’s Constitution in
Court to his response to circuit clerks following the ruling by the U.S.
Supreme Court. Hurst said in a released statement:
“I strongly disagree with the United States
Supreme Court creating a constitutional right to gay marriage. This is
blatant judicial activism usurping the rule of the people. As Justice
Roberts stated in his dissent, ‘[u]nder the Constitution, judges have power to
say what the law is, not what it should be.’ This is an issue that various
states, through our democratic process, were working through with their own
citizens, representing their own values and beliefs. However, as Justice
Scalia noted, the Court's decision is a ‘threat to American democracy,’
replacing the will of the people with the ‘reasoned judgment’ of nine
unelected judges. “
“That being the case, I agree with one
commentator who stated, ‘We [as Christians] must stand with conviction and
kindness, with truth and with grace. We must hold to our views and love
those who hate us for them.’”
“Our Democrat Attorney General, Jim Hood,
has totally bungled Mississippi’s position in this case. Hood was and is for gay marriage. However, he was also charged as
Attorney General with defending Mississippi’s traditional marriage in court. So
he appointed an attorney, reportedly unfamiliar and uncomfortable with arguing
the issue. And the lawyer for the gay marriage advocates even said Hood’s legal team told them they 'personally
wouldn’t mind too much' if the Court ruled against them and for gay marriage.”
“Then on Friday, after the Supreme
Court handed down its decision, Hood told circuit clerks not to issue marriage licenses
because a lower court had put on hold its previous ruling overturning
Mississippi's law. Then yesterday, Hood told circuit clerks that even though the lower court's
order was still in place, they could nonetheless violate that order, but Hood
would not prosecute them. Or, as Hood stated, circuit clerks could honor
that court's stay and deny marriage licenses to gay couples but face lawsuits
from gay couples as a result.”
“Hood’s total lack of leadership on this
issue should be astounding to all Mississippians - both opponents and advocates
of gay marriage. Does anyone think Jim Hood is the lawyer most qualified
to fight for Mississippi on these issues? We can do better.
Mississippi deserves better."
Hurst also pointed out that
as Mississippi’s chief legal counsel, Hood’s official guidance to Mississippi’s
82 different circuit clerks suggested they should consult with their local
county board attorney in making their decisions over marriage licenses.
This post is a paid advertisement.
