WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Texas judges who decline to perform gay weddings based on their religious beliefs are not subject to sanctions governing judicial impartiality, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in a comment added to the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct.

The high court’s comment, added Friday to Canon 4 of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, said, “It is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.”

The comment could have statewide implications for gay marriage and helps clarify challenges and sanctions facing judges who decline to perform such ceremonies based on their religious beliefs.

McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley was sanctioned by the State Commission on Judi

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