Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III speaks to attendees at the Pachyderm Club meeting at 2 on the Roof on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery on Monday called the U.S. Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision an issue for the states, saying in a speech in Chattanooga that a handful of federal decrees have pre-empted the “very good, well-run” systems in Tennessee.
“It seems like we deal with it every time we turn the corner,” Slatery said to roughly 50 members of the Pachyderm Club. “This is a states’ issue. This shouldn’t be a federal issue.”
Slatery, who originally expressed disappointment with the decision before encouraging people to be patient, praised Tennessee for its strong, low-tax legislation and debt-free highways before lauding Chattanooga for its development.
“Congratulations,” he said. “It seems like everything is growing here.”
During the hour-long speech, Slatery encouraged the members to pay attention to the 2016 elections – and the Supreme Court, since several of its sitting judges are of advanced years.