Gay marriage cisn rtarts Republin bate | AP News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's gay marriage cisn has reigned a bate si the Republin party that many of s lears hoped to avoid ahead of the 2016 printial ntt. The urt's cisn Monday to reject appeals om five stat that sought to prohib same-sex marriage ps the Republins' pragmatic wg eager to move past the divisive social issue agast relig nservativ — a vol mory that vowed to redouble s efforts and punish those unwillg to jo them. A ago, Print Gee W. Bh won re-electn part by supportg ballot iativ several stat seekg a nstutnal ban on gay marriage, boostg turnout among motivated nservative voters. Support for legal same-sex marriage has grown swiftly the years sce, and several polls have found that majori of Amerins are favor of legal regnn for gay marriag. Dcribg the urt's cisn as "judicial activism at s worst," Texas Sen. Ted Cz on Tuday renewed his pledge to troduce a nstutnal amendment that would lim the urt's abily to strike down the remag state laws blockg gays and lbians om marryg. "We're seeg right now an asslt on tradnal marriage," he add. Among the Republin crowd 2016 class, only a handful of potential ntenrs — Cz and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, among them — aggrsively cricized the urt's cisn. Both will need support om relig nservativ to fuel a potential printial bid. "It is shockg that many elected officials, attorneys and judg thk that a urt lg is the 'fal word,'" Huckabee said. "It most certaly is not." The pair was the mory among possible Republin printial hopefuls. High-profile Republin ernors om Wisns to Indiana suggted the bate was over — their stat, at least. "For , 's over Wisns," said Republin Gov. Stt Walker, whose state's appeal was among those the urt cled. "To me, I'd rather be talkg the future now more about our jobs plan and our plan for the future of the state," Walker ntued. "I thk that's what matters to the kids. It's not this issue." The urt's cisn effectively rais the number of stat where same-sex marriage is legal om 19 to 30, meang as many as 60 percent of Amerins now live stat where gay and lbian people n marry. But for relig nservativ who hold outsized fluence Republin printial ntts the early votg stat of Iowa and South Carola, the issue ronat. "If you're a ndidate for print who ref to oppose homosexual marriage, I don't see how you get elected," said Steve Scheffler, a Republin natnal mteeman om Iowa. "You're gog to get clobbered." Ralph Reed, chairman of the Fah and Freedom Coaln, issued a warng for anyone eyeg the 2016 printial ntt: "There will be no avoidg this issue." That's exactly what some Republins ntemplatg printial bids would like to do. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plead ignorance when asked about the urt's cisn Monday at a mpaign appearance Connecticut. "I haven't had a chance to read ," said Christie, who drew fire om cultural nservativ last year when he cled to appeal a urt lg legalizg gay marriage his state. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said a statement he was disappoted by the lg, addg that while he believ " the importance of tradnal marriage," he would abi by the le of law. "People are ee to disagree wh urt cisns but we are not ee to disobey them," he said. At an event Washgton, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jdal, whose state has an active se that was not among those nsired Monday by the Supreme Court, had a muted reactn. "I ntue to believe tradnal marriage, but the ball's certaly the urt's urt," he said. Other would-be Republin Whe Hoe ndidat have monstrated how tricky the polics of gay marriage n be. Florida Sen. Mar Rub supports marriage between a man and a woman, but has urged tolerance for gay upl. He also spoke out July about what he lled a "growg tolerance" agast people who oppose same-sex marriage. ___ Associated Prs wrers Jim Vertuno At, Texas; Bill Barrow Atlanta; Jill Colv Tmbull, Connecticut; Stt Ber Sun Prairie, Wisns; and AP Pollg Director Jennifer Agita ntributed to this report.