Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today spoke to a crowd outside the Texas State Capitol about the importance of protecting marriage, as defined by Texas law and our Constitution.

“In Texas, marriage has been clearly defined by our elected representatives and by a vote of the people, and more than three out of every four Texas voters defined marriage as between one man and one woman,” General Paxton said. “The people of our state could not have spoken more clearly on this issue.”

Washington, however, is ignoring Texas’ right to define marriage. Recently, the Obama Administration sought to impose new rules on state agencies, mandating they extend Family Medical Leave benefits to same-sex couples who were married in another state.  Last week, General Paxton filed suit to stop them from unilaterally rewriting Texas and federal law.

“This was a direct assault on the rule of law in Texas, and a broadside against the values that Texas voters have stood for, time and time again,” General Paxton said. “I will continue to lead the fight against the sort of ‘executive office activism’ that is becoming the trademark of the Obama Administration.”

General Paxton continues to actively uphold Texas law in the face of unconstitutional actions taken by Travis County judges. Additionally, in January, the Attorney General’s Office defended the institution of marriage before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.