Ohio bill would protect pastors who refuse to perform same-sex marriages

COLUMBUS — Pastors and churches would be protected from lawsuits and prosecution for refusing to officiate or play host same-sex marriage ceremonies, under legislation being considered in the Ohio House.

Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, offered the legislation in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year that overturned gay marriage bans in Ohio and other states.

“Religious freedom, and the freedom to worship, is the most sacred to the foundation of our country and state,” Vitale told the House’s Community and Family Advancement Committee on Tuesday, where HB 286 had its initial hearing. “In fact, I dare say that liberty is the direct end of government, and for many that liberty is played out in our ability to freely worship without force or threat. Religious leaders in the state of Ohio must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that religious freedom is beyond the reach of government or coercion by the courts and fines.”

The legislation, titled the “Ohio Pastor Protection Act,” would enable ordained or licensed ministers and religious societies to refuse to solemnize marriages or allow marriage ceremonies that “do not conform to [their] sincerely held religious beliefs,” according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission.