N.C. responses to marriage ruling vary by politics

North Carolina’s Republican leaders said they reluctantly accepted Friday’s Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriages, while Democrats hailed it.

“While this decision is disappointing, we respect the ruling and will continue to work to ensure North Carolina complies with the law of the land,” said GOP Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore in a statement.

Republican Gov. Pat McCrory said he still believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, and should be determined by the states.

“However, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution,” he said, “which compels me as governor to ensure that North Carolina upholds the rule of law.”

After a federal court legalized gay marriage in North Carolina last fall, the state hired outside attorneys to fight the ruling. Through February, it had spent around $100,000 of public money on an appeal, a cost the attorney general called a waste.

A spokeswoman for Berger said Friday that amount hasn’t significantly changed.

Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the NC Values Coalition, said the ruling “will no more settle the issue of gay marriage than Roe v. Wade settled the issue of abortion.”

“We must guarantee that North Carolinians whose religious beliefs are violated by this decision will have the continuing freedom to act on their beliefs."

Meanwhile, Democrats applauded the ruling.

“This decision is a major step in the fight for equality, for all people,” said U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of the 12th District. “No one deserves to be discriminated against; regardless of their sexual orientation, race, gender or socioeconomic status.”

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 4:01 PM with the headline "N.C. responses to marriage ruling vary by politics."