Attorney: Mississippi law could harm access to gay marriage

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A gay-rights attorney says a new Mississippi law might violate a federal judge's order that blocks the state from treating same-sex couples differently from straight couples who want to marry.

Roberta Kaplan says in a Monday letter to Gov. Phil Bryant that she has "serious concerns" about how the state will comply with the order once a religious-objections bill becomes law July 1.

The U.S. Supreme Court last summer effectively legalized gay marriage nationwide.

The Mississippi law, signed April 5 by Bryant, says workers can cite their own religious objections to same-sex marriage to deny services to people. Kaplan says the law doesn't specify how it will protect gay couples' ability to receive marriage licenses.

Kaplan represented plaintiffs who filed a 2014 federal lawsuit challenging Mississippi's ban on gay marriage.

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 
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The Gayly- 4/26/2016 @ 3:26 PM CDT