Sponsor of anti-gay marriage bill is undaunted by $8.5B cost
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee lawmaker who introduced a bill seeking to bar the state from following the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling says he is undeterred by a projected loss of $8.5 billion in federal funds if the Legislature enacts the measure.
State Rep. Mark Pody said at a rally at the state Capitol on Tuesday that the proposal he has dubbed the “Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act” is worth any cost, even though the Lebanon Republican disputed the estimated loss of federal funds.
The proposal is scheduled for its first hearing in a House subcommittee on Wednesday afternoon, and Pody urged supporters to contact the five members of the panel to persuade them not to kill the bill.
