An Indiana senator was censured by state Republicans for his vote to approve changes to the Respect for Marriage Act.
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) voted in favor of changing federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, according to a Washington Examiner report. The new legislation modifies federal law to recognize any marriage between any two individuals that is valid under state law where the marriage was conducted.
Cass County Republican Party members censured the Indiana senator in a Thursday letter expressing disappointment in Young’s support for the legislation, citing a “sense of betrayal.” Censure does not remove a senator from office, but the letter is a mark of disapproval that may affect standing or reputation.
“It does not bring pleasure nor eagerness to write to you this evening,” Cass County Republican Chairman David Richey explained in the letter. “Cass County Republicans felt that waiting until the next election cycle to share how upset they were would not accomplish anything and therefore chose to write this letter of Censure to Sen. Young.”
The letter, along with an appeal to other Indiana county party committees to correspond with Young, was included in a Twitter post by CNN reporter Melanie Zanona.
The censured senator was one of 12 Senate Republicans who joined Democrats to approve the legislation. The other Republican senators are Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr from North Carolina, Shelley Capito from West Virginia, Susan Collins from Maine, Joni Ernst from Iowa, Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Ohio’s Rob Portman, Utah’s Mitt Romney, Alaska’s Dan Sullivan and Thom Tillis, from North Carolina.
Young has support the bill for a while, publishing a November 30 opinion piece in the Indianapolis Star calling on his colleagues to join with him in approving the legislation. He received backlash from Indiana Republicans who accused the senator of betraying GOP values.
“Your decision elicited feelings of anger, disbelief and even a sense of betrayal,” the Cass County Republican Party wrote in censure. “We are not just fiscal conservatives, but social conservatives as well. Your opinion piece in the Indianapolis Star on November 30 only confirmed our concerns that you have departed from the deeply held views of the vast majority of your fellow Hoosiers.”
The bill requires states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states and prohibits denial of out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.
The changes to the federal marriage law does continue to restrict marriage to two people for now.
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