Texas Judge Cites Recent SCOTUS Ruling In Renewed Lawsuit To Refuse To Officiate Any Same-Sex Marriages

The Texas Tribune reports:

Since Waco judge Dianne Hensley received a public warning from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for refusing to perform same-sex marriages in 2019, she’s waged a public battle against the state agency. She’s long claimed the governmental body violated state law by punishing her for actions taken in accordance with her religious faith. Now, she has submitted a brief arguing that the recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of a business owner who refused services to same-sex couples will help her case.

After Hensley was warned by the judicial conduct commission, she filed a lawsuit claiming the investigation and warning “substantially burdened the free exercise of her religion, with no compelling justification.” She seeks damages of $10,000. She has been represented by the First Liberty Institute, a high-profile religious liberty legal group based in Plano. The legal group also has strong ties to suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Read the full article.

As I reported in June 2021, her lawsuit was tossed by a county judge, but now the Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments on reviving the suit. In the 2019 clip below, Hensley says, “I have no desire to offend anybody but the last person I want to offend is God.”

McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley, who faced a warning for refusing to marry same-sex couples, argues that a recent Supreme Court case on religious freedom supports her lawsuit against a state agency. https://t.co/0UKijjSTfm

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 12, 2023