The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalised same-sex marriage throughout America is wreaking havoc on state laws.
In North Dakota for instance, lawmakers said 70 sections of the state law that covers divorces, adoption and licences need to be changed in order to reflect gender-neutral language to comply with the decision.
Republican state Sen. David Hogue, chairman of the Legislature's interim Judiciary Committee, told The Dickson Press that there are two factions on the matter. One group comprises those who are against the Supreme Court ruling while the other wants to change state laws.
"They want to sort of resist through not making any changes," he said.
Hogue supports changing local laws.
"My own view is I don't like the ruling, but I accept it as the law of the land. I have no doubt that it will at some point cause problems for somebody in the state. There are simply too many references to husband and wife, so I think it should be changed," he said.
But Hogue said he is leaving the matter up to the committee's 20 members to decide.
Republican state Rep. Lawrence Klemin said the committee may recommend a study to pinpoint which needs to be changed.
"We can't just go through and change everything, because some of those definitions are related to biology," he said.
Democrat Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider said, "I hope we can all be concerned about the practical impact on the people of North Dakota, because that decision is the law of the land."
In 2004, 73 percent of North Dakota voters approved a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, which represents Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, said the Supreme Court ruling "pretty much shreds domestic law," leaving behind "complete chaos," according to WND.
He said every practice, procedure and requirement of the United States' statutes and codes will have to be changed.
"It is a massive undertaking," Staver said.
He said at state level, it could take years to accomplish the changes.
