Texas Supreme Court should revisit marriage rules — Incoming chief justice

Last October, the Texas Supreme Court made a decision that changed the course of my life.

Official response and confirmed impact

I thought about the couples who had waited so long for the right to marry the person they love.

I thought about the families who have built beautiful lives together, raised children, and contributed to their communities, only to be reminded that some people still believe they deserve to be treated differently.

And I thought about what it would feel like to stand in front of a judge, on what ought to be one of the happiest days of your life, and be told that your love wasn't worthy of the same recognition as someone else's.

That just didn't sit right with me. I believe most Texans are good people trying to do right by their families, neighbors and communities.

We may not agree on everything, but most of us were raised with a pretty simple understanding of fairness: treat people the way you would want to be treated.

Incident under investigation

When the Texas Supreme Court changed its judicial conduct rules to allow judges to decline to perform marriage ceremonies based on their religious beliefs, my heart sank.

That's something I've tried to carry with me throughout my life, as a mother, as an attorney, as a justice with the Third Court of Appeals in Austin and now as your chief justice-elect of the Texas Supreme Court.