Rep. Gary Palmer: 'Marriage is correctly defined as being between one man and one woman'

Alabama's newest Congressman is weighing in on the state Supreme Court decision that put a halt to same-sex weddings.

Rep. Gary Palmer has a unique vantage point in the argument. He's the former president of the Alabama Policy Institute, which, along with the Alabama Citizens Action Program, filed the request with the Supreme Court asking for an earlier March order to be stopped.

Here's what Palmer, R-Hoover, said about the order:

"I believe that marriage is correctly defined as being between one man and one woman. The overwhelming majority of the people of Alabama agree with me. We enshrined this truth into the Alabama State Constitution by more than a 4-1 margin in 2006. The Alabama Supreme Court has sided with the will of the people, not one unelected federal judge.

"As legal experts and many prior appellate court decisions have recognized, a federal district judge cannot bind a state supreme court. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed this, and thus correctly ruled that, 'Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to (Alabama) law. Nothing in the United States Constitution alters or overrides this duty.'

"I appreciate the leadership at the Alabama Policy Institute, along with the Alabama Citizens Action Program, for taking the lead on this issue and bringing this case to the Alabama Supreme Court. They chose to stand strongly for the values of the people of Alabama, knowing that such a decision will not be popular with many elites. I know that the people of Alabama will be well served by the Alabama Policy Institute's continued hard work on behalf of common sense conservative ideas and bold leadership."