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Jindal Slams Anti-Mixed Marriage Judge
Governor calls for firing of Louisiana justice who denied couple marriage license
By Rob Quinn
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Posted Oct 16, 09 11:58 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Gov. Bobby Jindal and other Louisiana officials say a justice of the peace who refuses to marry interracial couples should lose his job. "This is a clear violation of constitutional rights and federal and state law," Jindal said, calling for Keith Bardwell's case to be referred to a state commission. "Disciplinary action should be taken immediately—including the revoking of his license," he said.
Bardwell's refusal to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple earlier this month "is an example of the ugly bigotry that divided our country for too long," Lousiana Sen. Mary L. Landrieu said. Bardwell insists he's not a racist, and says he is acting out of concern for the children of mixed-race marriages. "I've found that actually the children of biracial couples can do pretty good," President Obama's deputy press secretary told the AP.