A bill is likely to be passed by the Alabama legislature that will abolish the marriage licence and replace it with civil contract in line with the US Supreme Court ruling last June that legalised gay marriage in the country.
SB 21, authored by Republican State Sen. Greg Albritton, provides that judges of probate in the state would no longer issue marriage licences upon proof of eligibility of marriage but instead they will receive and record "civil contracts of marriage presented by parties to the civil contract."
The state House Judiciary Committee has approved the bill which could be voted soon, according to AL.com.
The bill requires probate court judges to transmit a copy of each civil contract to the Office of the Vital Statistics.
"This bill would remove the requirement of marriage licences. This bill would provide that parties desiring to enter a marital union may enter a civil contract for marriage to be known as a civil contract," the bill read.
Republican Rep. Jim Hill proposed to sponsor the bill in the state House, saying this is in response to the same-sex marriage issue.
The bill needs to have a two-thirds vote to pass as it was not one of the subjects included in the special session called by the governor.
An amendment was included in the bill for it to return to the Senate once the House passes it.
The Human Rights Campaign said the bill is unnecessary.
"There is absolutely no reason to change the way the state of Alabama handles marriages, period. While the bill impacts all Alabamians who wish to get married, it is clearly unnecessary, needless, and being driven by elected officials who oppose marriage equality victories and now wish to score cheap political points because of it. Frankly, It's a ham-handed solution in search of a non-existent problem," the group said in a statement.
Meanwhile in Kentucky, a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 63 percent of Americans want Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples despite her religious objections.
A total of 33 percent said she should not be required to do so.
