Three Republican lawmakers in North Carolina filed a bill Tuesday that seeks to defy the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. House Bill 780, otherwise known as the Uphold Historical Marriage Act, said the Supreme Court "overstepped its constitutional bounds" when it struck down an amendment of North Carolina's constitution in its 2015 landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case that made same-sex marriages legal nationwide.

North Carolina state Reps. Larry Pittman, Michael Speciale and Carl Ford are the primary sponsors of the Uphold Historical Marriage Act.

Read: Did The U.S. Census Bureau Abandon Plans To Include LGBTQ Americans In 2020 Census?

The bill quotes the Christian Bible and said the ruling "exceeds the authority of the court relative to the decree of Almighty God that 'a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh' (Genesis 2:24, ESV) and abrogates the clear meaning and understanding of marriage in all societies throughout prior history."

The American Civil Liberties Union released a statement condemning the bill. “These extreme proposals would trample on the rights and wellbeing of all community members, spread fear and confusion, waste countless government resources, and do nothing to make North Carolina safer,” said Sarah Gillooly, policy director for the ACLU of North Carolina. “This bill potentially violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution and could expose North Carolina to costly litigation. But more importantly, state lawmakers should not be in the business of telling local officials to target and single out undocumented North Carolinians who work, go to school, and contribute to our communities in countless ways.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, tweeted Tuesday: “This bill is wrong... We need more LGBT protections, not fewer.”

Other states who tried defying the Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling have failed in the past. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered state judges not to issue same-sex marriage licenses. However, Moore’s decision was overturned and he was removed from office, according to reports.

RELATED STORIES