Gay Marriage Ruling Shaking Political Landscape

This decision may seem like the final chapter in the gay marriage debate, but political experts say law makers and politicians have a lot more to say, using the Supreme Court decision to rally voters and support on both sides of the issue.  

The Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage nationwide doesn’t leave opponents with many options. 

"One could pursue an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would be a way to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling, but that’s extremely unlikely," said Fresno State University professor and political analyst Dr. Kevin Ayotte.

California’s Democratic United States Senators had this to say about the ruling.       

Senator Barbara Boxer said, "Today my heart is full of joy because the Supreme Court recognized that all Americans should be able to marry the person they love."

Senator Dianne Feinestien said, "The American people have come to recognize that loving, committed couples should be able to marry, regardless of sexual orientation. The Supreme Court has now recognized this as well." 

State Assemblyman Jim Patterson thinks the decision was an overreach by the supreme court. 

"Essentially legislation from the bench and I think that is a dangerous area. We should be settling these matters with our states and with citizens and voters working together on this," said Patterson. 

Political experts fear the decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states will only drive political parties further apart. 

"Rather than looking at the current legal landscape and trying to figure out how do we make this work. How do we identify common ground and work together? Some will say look at what the court did and why you need to elect me rather than my opponent," said Dr. Ayotte. 

Political experts expect some states to work on legislation to make certain aspects of marriage more difficult for same sex couples, but that won’t stop the United States from becoming the 21st country in the world to legalize gay marriage nationwide.