Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage nationwide, arrives for a news conference on the steps of the Texas Capitol, June 29, 2015, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

On Monday, the North Dakota House Judiciary Committee began debating House Concurrent Resolution 3013, a Republican-written resolution urging the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states in 2015. 

“Obergefell v. Hodges requires states to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and recognize same-sex marriage in complete contravention of a state’s own constitution and the will of the state’s voters, thus undermining the civil liberties of those states’ residents and voters,” the bill’s text reads. 

Twelve Republicans introduced the bill late last month, including state Rep. Bill Tveit (R-Hazen).

“This is a crucial step in taking back our country, our culture and our communities,” Tveit said at the committee hearing on Monday while introducing the bill.

During his speech, Tveit argued that the 2015 case should have had a 4-3 decision opposing legal same-sex marriage nationwide, with Justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg being forced to recuse because they’ve supported LGBTQ+ rights and officiated same-sex weddings.

Should HCR 3013 pass through the North Dakota legislative branch, it would request that the secretary of state send the resolution directly to the Supreme Court. While the bill appears to be mostly a symbolic reputation of the recent advances in LGBTQ+ rights, it speaks to the broader, reactionary political attacks on gay, lesbian and transgender people taking place across the globe.  

This hasn’t stopped both local and national anti-LGBTQ+ groups from chiming in on the resolution. 

“Some may argue that this is a settled matter, that we have more pressing concerns. But if we allow the foundation of marriage and family to erode, then every other policy — economic, legal and cultural — rests on shifting sand,” Arthur Schaper, a field director for the hate group Mass Resistance, said at the bill’s hearing. 

“Strong families are the backbone of a strong nation. We cannot put America First while putting American children second.”