Yesterday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law HB 878 (full text) which adds to the Tennessee Code section which lists who may solemnize marriages (clergy as well as various current and former public officials) language that provides:
A person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.
As originally introduced, the bill would have allowed refusals only by those who had objections based on conscience or religious belief. CNN reporting on the bill notes that LGBTQ advocates criticized the bill for allowing public officials to discriminate based on their personal beliefs.
