A public vote against gay marriage was defied by an Ohio judge last week, and House Rep. John Becker is not standing for it.
Becker released a statement on April 7, repeating his call for U.S. District Judge Timothy Black's impeachment due to "an epic display of arrogance and incompetence" in his rulings.
"The federal government has an ever growing propensity to violate state sovereignty," Becker wrote."Although this has been a trend since the early 19th century, it has accelerated exponentially in recent decades. This [resolution] will begin the process of restoring state sovereignty back to the original intent of the U.S. Constitution."
On April 4, Judge Black released a statement affirming his intention to strike down Ohio's voter-approved ban against same-sex marriages. The order, which is expected to be issued before April 14, will force Ohio to recognize out-of-state gay marriages as legal.
Judge Black's decision followed his December ruling that gay surviving spouses must be listed on Ohio death certificates. That ruling is pending in the appeals court.
In November, Rep. Becker introduced a resolution to impeach "rogue" Judge Timothy Black. There are no other sponsors, and the resolution is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.
"Judge Black has demonstrated his incompetence by allowing his personal political bias to supersede jurisprudence," the resolution states, and "the grounds for impeachment are malfeasance and abuse of power."
According to USA Today, over 60% of Ohio voters approved an amendment to the state's constitution in 2004 that upheld the biblical definition of marriage-- the union of a man and woman. The amendment also prohibited any legal status for same-sex couples.
