Steven Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas, a PAC that pushed the anti-gay marriage bill

Steven Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas, a PAC that pushed the anti-gay marriage bill

Supporters of the measure, which is scheduled for a vote as soon as Tuesday in the Texas House, said it would send a powerful message to the court. Taking a cue from the anti-abortion movement, they said they also hoped to keep any judicially sanctioned right to same-sex marriage tied up in legal battles for years to come. The measure, by Rep. Cecil Bell, a Republican from the outskirts of Houston, would prohibit state and local officials from using taxpayer dollars “to issue, enforce, or recognize a marriage license . . . for a union other than a union between one man and one woman.”

More good ideas from Texas, where lawmakers hope to stall same-sex marriage rights indefinitely with legal battles if the Supreme Court strikes down gay marriage bans nationwide come June. Sandhya Somashekhar has the details Those would be the same taxpayer dollars LGBT Texans pay every year in order to support the issuance of marriage licenses to everyone else.

On Monday afternoon, the bill reportedly had enough support to pass through the House if it could reach the floor for a vote before a Thursday deadline. Upon clearing the House, the bill would almost certainly sail through the Senate.

For more on the bill's implications, head below the fold.