Report: Cruz suggests states can ignore gay marriage ruling

A traditional husband and wife wedding painting hangs on the wall of the County Clerks Office while Carly Kinslow, left, and partner Jenifer Wegley, of Katy, exit after filing for a marriage license at Harris County Civil Courthouse Friday, June 26, 2015, in Houston. The Supreme Court of the United States on Friday ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide. less A traditional husband and wife wedding painting hangs on the wall of the County Clerks Office while Carly Kinslow, left, and partner Jenifer Wegley, of Katy, exit after filing for a marriage license at Harris ... more Photo: Gary Coronado, Houston Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Gary Coronado, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 37 Caption Close Report: Cruz suggests states can ignore gay marriage ruling 1 / 37 Back to Gallery

Texas senator and GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz said during a recent NPR interview that states can ignore the Supreme Court's landmark ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

His reasoning? The states not specifically named in the case don't have to follow the ruling, he said on Sunday.

The states listed in the gay marriage suit, Obergefell v. Hodges, included Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.

"... On a great many issues, others have largely acquiesced, even if they were not parties to the case.

But there's no legal obligation to acquiesce to anything other than a court judgment. And I would note that the next major battlefield that is going to occur following this marriage decision is religious liberty," Cruz said.

Cruz has been outspoken in his disdain for the Supreme Court's ruling since it was handed down on Friday. While appearing on the Sean Hannity radio show, the senator called the back-to-back Obamacare and gay marriage rulings "some of the darkest 24 hours in our nation's history." In an interview with the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie the former Supreme Court clerk accused the justices of violating their judicial oaths.

However, Cruz was not the only Texas politician to suggest that the ruling could be flouted in the state.

On Sunday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told county clerks that their religious beliefs could enable them to disregard the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling. But he warned some of them may face litigation for refusing to issue licenses to gay couples.